Fates Intertwined
by Kiyamasho
Summary: Three friends get together to celebrate their birthdays only to discover something none of them expected: Love. Being in love is hard enough but when tragedy strikes all bets are off. Each choice made brings about dramatic consequences that cause our heroes to question what's really important. Will love prevail and the three be saved? Or will evil claim one of their own? COMPLETE
1. The Benefit Dinner of Destiny

**What a rush! It has always been a dream of mine to do a collab fic and that dream has finally come true with the help of my friend Puja723. Purely for the fun of it the two of us have gotten together to write this extremely silly story about a trio of friends who get together to celebrate their upcoming birthdays. I'd like to dedicate this story to Thomas Drovin! Without him Puja and I would have never met and we would have never had the opportunity to create awesomness. Happy Birthday!**

**Anyways, please enjoy and please leave a review at the end J **

* * *

_Run, run, run_... Over and over the words raced across Selene's mind as she ran across the street. Beside her ran Tegan. As they rounded a corner a winded Tegan wheezed out, "I...am...going...to KILL YOU AARON!"

Behind the girls ran Aaron who stumbled slightly as he replied, "I'm sorry I never meant for any of this to happen."

Aaron stumbled again and this time he wasn't so lucky. He fell flat on his face with a cry. Selene and Tegan looked at each other and with only the slightest hesitation they stopped.

"We're all going to die," muttered Tegan darkly as she turned back and grabbed Aaron by his arm and yanked him up.

Selene couldn't help but agree with her friend's sentiment. Quietly she crept to the edge of the building and peered around the corner. The coast was clear. She waved her friends to move faster and when they had joined her Selene whispered, "Look, we can throw blame around once we leave this God forsaken place. Right now let's concentrate on getting the hell out of here and back to my house."

Aaron reached up and fiddled nervously with his glasses. "But we don't know where we are."

With a scowl Selene peeked around the edge of the building and studied the street. Relaxing slightly she said, "I think I know where we are. If we head south on this street we can get back to whe-"

A deep chuckle from behind them cut off Selene's words.

"Leaving the little party so soon? That's rather rude don't you think?"

The three friends turned around, faces pale and limbs trembling as they looked into the face of the Joker. His face twisted into a smile as he stepped forward and squeezed the flower on his lapel...

**Several hours earlier **

Selene sat at her desk scribbling in a notebook. In two days it would be her birthday and while it would be great to be getting gifts she was more excited about meeting her friend Tegan. She and Tegan had met online several years earlier and had become close friends. They had never met beforehand but as luck would have it Tegan had managed to score a decently priced ticket to meet up with Selene on her day. Selene absently brushed some hair from her face. It would be the ideal situation seeing as how Tegan's birthday less than a week after hers. She smiled; they would be sure to celebrate in style. Selene pushed the notebook aside and stood up the smile on her face widening. It was time to go pick Tegan up from the airport.

* * *

"Oh my God! This place looks AMAZING!" Tegan pressed her face against the window and stared in wonder at all the tall buildings whizzing by as Selene drove the two of them back to her place.

Selene smiled and said easily, "I imagine it's a huge difference from that small town you're from." She paused to merge into a different lane before continuing, "We'll be coming into the city tomorrow after I get off from work. I figure tonight we can watch shows and pig out on some junk food since you're tired from the flight."

"Sounds good to me." Tegan said as she turned to look at her friend. Tegan had been nervous about meeting her friend in person for the first time but clearly that was dumb. Selene was even better in person than online. Tegan leaned back in her seat and said teasingly, "Too bad Aaron couldn't make it to join the party."

Immediately Selene's face twisted into a grimace. "Uh, yeah no way was that going to happen. He's creepy. Besides my parents would flip if I had brought a guy over to stay the week." Although she was past the age where most people had moved out from their parent's home Selene had chosen to stay with hers to save money while she attended a local university. Once she had her degree there would be plenty of time to move on.

Tegan giggled and said, "I was just joking, it would have been too awkward to have him here. He'd probably spend the entire time fawning over you."

Selene couldn't help but shiver at those words. Aaron was a mutual online friend of theirs who unfortunately had a crush on her. She shook her head and said firmly, "Let's not talk about him anymore." She turned her car down a street and a few minutes pulled up to her house.

As Selene pulled into the driveway Tegan suddenly asked, "Hey who's that standing at your front door?"

"What? I don't know, a salesperson maybe?" Selene stopped the car and the two girls got out as the man on the porch turned around.

Both girls froze as they recognized the familiar bumbling smile of Aaron. In one hand he clutched a duffel bag and in the other hand was a sorry looking bouquet of flowers. Tegan made a choking noise and Selene couldn't help but look horrified. As he took a step towards them she said loudly, "You have got to be kidding me."

Aaron grinned and said cheerfully, "Surprise! You didn't think I'd let my two best girls celebrate alone did you?"

"This is a surprise alright," Tegan muttered darkly, "And it's not a good one."

Selene nodded in agreement. This was a nightmare.

The two girls walked the rest of the way to the front of the house. Aaron's face flushed as he thrust the flowers towards Selene. "H-Happy b-birthday." He muttered.

Selene touched her hand against her forehead, while Tegan watched on silently snickering to herself. The snickers stopped as soon as Selene turned a glare on her. Hesitantly, Selene took the flowers from Aaron; if one would call them flowers. They looked as if they were picked from someone's yard.

"I didn't have time to buy any, so I just picked them from your yard."

Tegan rolled her eyes. "How did we become friends with you?" she asked sarcastically.

Aaron's eyes twinkled like a child. "Don't you remember?" He asked not knowing that Tegan was being sarcastic. "It all started on that website for fans of different movies and TV shows."

Tegan and Selene exchanged dismayed looks and sighed.

"Anyway..." Selene told her friends. "C'mon in. My parents aren't home at the moment, but they know Tegan's supposed to be here…I'll have to inform them later about Aaron." She smiled leading her friends into her home. She led her friends into the foyer leading towards a marble floored living room and kitchen. In the foyer there was a staircase leading to the second level of the house. Selene motioned her friends to follow her upstairs.

"You're house is so big!" Tegan exclaimed as she looked around wide eyed; she lived in a small house in the country. By contrast Selene's city home appeared like a mansion.

Selene giggled. "Not really, this is an average looking home here in the city."

Aaron was about to say something when he noticed something in Selene's room. Her dressing table was filled with early birthday wishes. His hand touched the wooden piece of furniture.

"That's mahogany!" Selene yelled keeping her friend away from her cards and her dresser. One card in particular caught both Tegan and Aaron's eye. Ignoring Selene's concern about her things Tegan reached out and plucked it up off the dresser and quickly scanned the contents, her jaw dropping in shock.

"Y-You. Got. A. Card. From the Flash?!" Tegan asked holding the elaborate birthday card in her hand. She stared at the card with a dreamy expression covering her face as she thought of the handsome super hero. From the corner of her eye she could see Aaron foaming at the mouth with jealousy.

Selene's cheeks turned pink. "H-He's just a friend. Sort of."

Opening the card again Tegan discovered a pair of invite tickets to a benefit dinner promoting Bruce Wayne's new charity. One of the activities would be a special screening of an unreleased movie at one of the city's most expensive and lavishing restaurants.

"Well this sounds fancy," Tegan said as she examined the tickets. She frowned. "They're for tonight!"

"I completely forgot I bought these!" Selene exclaimed. Then she smiled at Tegan, "I know I said we'd be doing something low key tonight but forget that; you're coming with me tonight to this awesome party!" She then looked at Aaron. "Er…If I knew you were coming, I would've bought another ticket."

Aaron sighed and replied, "That's ok I'm used to being left out..." His voice trailed off as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it over to the girls. He grinned and said, "Which is why I managed to procure my own ticket for the event."

Selene and Tegan almost choked as they stared down at the ticket. Tegan handed it back to Aaron and asked warily, "How the hell did you know that Selene got these tickets?"

He shrugged innocently and set his bag on the ground. Glancing around him asked, "Is there a washroom around here?"

Selene sighed inwardly and exchanged a look with Tegan as she led Aaron to the bathroom beside her room. When she came back she and Tegan settled themselves on the bed.

"Is it just me or is it disturbing how much he knows about your life?" Tegan asked softly.

Selene nodded in agreement and whispered back, "It is pretty creepy...I bought the tickets a few days ago and stuck them in the card for safe keeping. I completely forgot to mention them to either of you."

Tegan sighed, "Well I suppose we're just going to have to ditch him once we get there. No offense to him but if I'm going to be going to a swanky party I can't be seen with him. Someone might think we came together." She grinned and finished teasingly, "He's all yours Selene."

Selene squawked in outrage but didn't say anything when Aaron reappeared from the bathroom. He looked at the two girls and smiled in what he must have thought was a charming way. "Well how shall we entertain ourselves as we wait for tonight's festivities to begin?"

"Well...I didn't realize we were going to be going to something so fancy..." Tegan's voice trailed off.

Selene immediately understood her friend's dilemma. "Don't worry; I know some good stores around here that we can hit. You should be able to find something perfect for tonight."

Aaron frowned in confusion. "What are you two talking about?"

Tegan grinned and said, "Shopping of course!"

* * *

Four hours later the trio found themselves back at Selene's home. Selene and Tegan walked into the house chatting as Aaron brought up the rear laden with at least 12 bags. Selene motioned for him to take them to her room upstairs and she glanced at the time on her phone. She frowned slightly, "We only have about two hours to get ready."

Tegan cringed slightly. "Only two hours? I guess we shouldn't have hit that last shop; we didn't even buy anything there."

Selene shrugged. "It doesn't matter, come on let's go get ready."

* * *

Aaron stood in the foyer for Selene's home adjusting the front of his surprisingly handsome suit. He had no interest in activities such as this but when he had discovered that his beloved Selene was going to attend the event he had become determined to attend. It hadn't been easy to discover that two tickets had found their way into her hands but thanks to some well-placed cameras and internet software he had managed to do just that. Unfortunately for him Tegan had surprised him with the news that she had gotten a plane ticket to visit Selene for their birthdays.

Aaron had been planning to surprise Selene with a visit and therefore go with her to the benefit dinner using the second ticket. Tegan's visit had thrown a wrench in those plans so Aaron had been forced to throw down some serious money to get his own ticket into the event. Luckily he had managed to do so and now here he was, moments away from escorting the woman he loved -and their mutual friend- to what promised to be a romantic night.

Giggling from the top of the stairs pulled Aaron from his thoughts and he straightened. He watched in fascination as Selene and Tegan descended the stairs. Gone were the girls from earlier; in their place were beautiful women. Elegant gowns sheathed their bodies modestly but the way the material clung to certain areas of their bodies left little to Aaron's imagination. He gulped as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He pulled his collar slightly to the side suddenly feeling hot and managed to say, "B-both of you look beautiful."

Tegan's face flushed with pleasure and she said, "Thank you Aaron...you don't look too bad yourself."

Selene nodded in agreement and she said smiling, "I don't think I've ever seen the three of us looking so great." She led the way out of the house and the three of the settled themselves into her car. It was a short drive to where the restaurant was located and when they arrived they were surprised to see how many people were already there. After a quick discussion they decided to do valet parking with the three of them splitting the cost.

As they walked into the restaurant and handed their tickets to a man standing near the entrance Tegan grabbed onto Selene's arm and squeezed it excitedly. "I can hardly believe we're here!" She lowered her voice and glanced around, "Do you think the Flash will be here? And speaking of him how come you never told me you knew him?!"

Selene looked at Tegan smiling sheepishly and replied, "Because if I told you, Aaron was sure to find out." She then turned to Aaron and frowned slightly. "I hope you won't do anything to embarrass us."

Tegan nodded in agreement. "Yeah don't even thinking about quoting dumb lines from movies, that's not attractive."

"Neither is talking about the weather!" Selene added.

"But it's an ice breaker." Aaron tried to defend himself.

"When cavemen existed it was!" Tegan scoffed and then looked at Selene. "Well I'm going to mingle with people, have fun with Aaron." She winked slyly. "He is your date after all."

Selene scowled holding her breath as she watched her best friend walk away from her. "I'm totally getting her for this..." She mumbled.

In the distance Bruce Wayne was answering several questions from reporters. Next to the eccentric billionaire was his son Damian, who was looking agitated as usual. "Father, this is tedious. I'm not even in the movie. It's pointless for me to be here." The small boy said.

Bruce sighed. "It's just for a few hours Damian."

Damian's eye twitched. "You said that the last time and a few hours turned into a fiasco that lasted until morning." He replied and then wandered off to get a drink. He looked back at his father still answering mundane questions. His thoughts were suddenly jumbled as he bumped into Tegan. A vein nearly popped in the small boy's head. "I can't believe they allow buffoons like you in here."

Slightly stung by the comment Tegan looked at the small boy in front of her. "Your parents need to teach you some manners. You're the one who bumped into me!"

Anger boiled in Damian's eyes and he was about to lunge at Tegan when he was suddenly grasped by a large set of arms. "Unhand me Drake!" Damian yelled trying to pry away from Tim.

Tim pulled the unruly boy away from the shocked looking female and said firmly, "Not until you settle down; you're making a scene."

It took a few moments but eventually Damian stopped his antics and with a hissed threat he stomped off. Tegan scowled at Tim and snapped, "Listen...er...Drake, You better keep your little brother in line before someone accidentally kicks his butt!" She turned with a huff and went over to where they had a table with an array of refreshments.

* * *

Meanwhile Selene was trying to get away from Aaron. Either he was completely stupid or he couldn't understand the very obvious hints she was dropping. Finally she said irritably, "I'm going to the bathroom." Without waiting for a response she escaped to the bathroom where she stayed for several minutes. There was another girl inside and when she looked as if she were about to exit Selene tapped her shoulder.

The girl turned, her red hair swishing as if it were in a hair commercial. Selene cleared her throat and asked hesitantly, "Excuse me...do you think you could do me a favor?"

The girl smiled slightly. "If it's nothing too difficult I suppose I could."

Selene said quickly, "Can you tell the gentleman with the light brown hair waiting outside the bathroom that I need him to get me some, uh, napkins...or anything along those lines?"

The redhead gave her a curious look but complied with Selene's wishes and several moments later she returned and said, "He took off like a lightning bolt to get those napkins." Her face darkened. "He's not harassing you is he?"

"No, he's just an overly ardent friend." Selene said with a sigh.

The redhead grinned. "I know all about those." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Barbara Gordon but you can call me Babs; most of my friends do."

Selene grasped Barbara's slim hand in her own and replied with a smile, "My name is Selene..." The two girls exited the bathroom chatting and Barbara turned her towards the dance floor that had been set up.

"Let's go this way; I see your friend coming...besides my boyfriend's over here and I'd like to introduce him to you."

Barbara led Selene up to a handsome young man talking to a little boy who had a scowl on his face.

The older man saw Babs and immediately a smile blossomed across his face making him, if possible, even more handsome. He slid his arm around Barbara's waist and gave it a squeeze. "Hey babe, I thought you had gotten lost in the bathroom."

"No, I just bumped into someone I'd like you to meet." Barbara paused to reach out and tug Selene closer. "Selene this is my boyfriend Richard Grayson. Dick, this is Selene."

Dick shook Selene's hand and she couldn't help but blush at the contact. Seeing her red face the little boy's scowl deepened and he snapped, "Not another one! What do you idiots see in this perverted playboy?"

"Be quiet Damian. Jealousy isn't a nice color on you." Dick said this easily and finished the statement by rumpling the other boy's hair. Damian smacked his hand away and stomped off.

Selene ran a hand through her hair and asked, "Is he always that...charming?"

Barbara rolled her eyes and replied, "I personally don't understand but," she paused to shrug a slim shoulder. "It's none of my business though...he just started living with his father and I guess that's rough on a little kid."

"What about his mother?" Selene asked curiously. "Shouldn't she care what her son does?"

"His mother is the head of..." Barbara answered and was suddenly interrupted by her boyfriend whisking her off to the dance floor.

Selene watched as couples slowly began filling the dance floor. She did a double take as she saw Tegan dancing with an older man. Selene couldn't help but wonder if the two had met before since their eyes were locked on one another with intensity she could feel even from where she stood. The young woman would have watched the scene with interest but Selene spotted Aaron making his way towards here and without a moment of hesitation she slipped into the crowd around her.

Eventually Selene found a spot that was Aaron free. She watched her friend dance and sunk against the wall wondering where her 'date' ran off to. "Knowing Aaron he probably got lost, thank goodness." She sighed and nearly tripped as she straightened to move across the room. There was a blur and suddenly strong arms wrapped around her waist to steady her. Selene blinked in surprise; where had he come from?

Selene's cheeks were redder than her savior's hair. She gazed into the boy's green eyes and she felt her cheeks blush again. "H-How were you able to catch me?" She asked blushing.

"I suppose I have good timing." The boy charmingly replied releasing his arms. "I'm surprised to see a pretty face like yours alone at this fancy party.

"I-It's not that I'm here alone...," Selene stammered. "I brought my friends here." She pointed to Tegan dancing with her mystery man. "As for my date," She shrugged carelessly. "I don't know where he went."

"So your date ditched you?" He asked her holding his hand out to her smiling sincerely. "I'm Wally West. I'll be your date for the evening."

Before Selene could tell him her name she felt him take her hand and before she could react the boy named Wally had his arm around her waist and delicately holding her right hand with his other hand slow dancing to the music.

Across the room Aaron watched in disbelief as Selene whirled around the dance floor with the other man. He crumpled the napkins in his hands and felt anger well up inside him. Selene had come with him, not with that red headed loser. Quickly he glanced around for Tegan; perhaps he could dance with her to try and get close to Selene so he could cut in. To his further astonishment he found Tegan dancing close to another man. Aaron couldn't believe this was happening. Clearly he needed to do some serious catching up if he wished to win Selene's heart.

* * *

"I-I never got your name." Tegan flushed as she gazed up at her handsome dance partner.

Her charming dance partner smiled and replied, "John…I am called John Jones."

Tegan swayed in John's arms and felt as if all was right with the world. She had noticed the handsome man standing near the refreshment table and needing a pick me up after that unfortunate encounter with the brat she had gone up to him and struck a conversation. He had been surprised as if he couldn't believe that someone could come up to him. After several minutes of pleasant conversation the live band began playing a song that Tegan liked. She had asked him to dance with her and after a moment's hesitation John had agreed.

The song had passed much too quickly but to Tegan's delight John asked her to dance the next number with him. It was a much slower song and Tegan couldn't help but be pleased at the prospect of moving closer to John. As they moved around the dance floor Tegan said appreciatively, "You're a wonderful dancer John."

John nodded and replied gravely, "Thank you; it is an interesting past time."

"Interesting past time? They don't dance where you're from?" Tegan asked curiously.

John's cheeks tinged pink and he replied quickly, "Ah...yes of course they do. I merely did not have much time to dance."

Tegan giggled and shifted so that she was slightly closer to her dance partner. She couldn't believe what a wonderful time she was having. Visiting Selene was turning out to be spectacular and it was only the first day. Speaking of Selene...Tegan peered over John's shoulder searching for her friend. To her surprise she found Selene moving around the dance floor in the arms of a handsome redhead. Tegan narrowed her eyes. Could he be the mysterious Flash that her friend was apparently friends with? The question was thrown from her mind as Tegan suddenly caught sight of Aaron's determined face as he barreled across the dance floor swinging a tall woman with him.

The woman, whose dark hair and beautiful features lent an air of familiarity to her, looked uncomfortable as Aaron clutched her waist with clammy hands. Tegan cringed as Aaron danced straight up to where Selene was, pushed his partner away, and asked determinedly, "May I cut in?"

Selene's expression changed to one of horror but Aaron ignored her and glared into the face of his adversary. Wally frowned and said, "Dude, this isn't the 1700s. You gotta wait for the dance to be over and then ask the lady if she wants to take a spin."

Aaron stiffened and said, "Well Selene is MY date and if I wish to dance with her then I may very well do it whenever I like!"

"This is the guy who you came with?" Wally asked Selene.

Face burning with humiliation Selene could only nod silently. Wally shrugged and turned to Aaron. "Sorry but the lady would rather dance with me. See you later." With that he whisked her away.

* * *

The hours passed by too quickly for the girls who were enjoying their night immensely. Selene had managed to avoid Aaron the rest of the evening and had spent her time getting to know Wally West. There was something achingly familiar about him and Selene felt positive that she had met him beforehand. Meanwhile Tegan was seated at a table chatting with Tim Drake.

Unfortunately John Jones had had to leave the party early and thoroughly disappointed Tegan had sat down at a table only to find herself next to the brother of that annoying child. After a few tense moments the tension had broken and she found herself genuinely liking the young man. Unfortunately he was several years younger than her but Tegan didn't care. After those moments with John Jones she was completely uninterested in anyone else.

As the party wound to an end Aaron sought out his friends and it was with great reluctance that the girls left their new friends behind. As they climbed into Selene's car Tegan said dreamily, "I had such an amazing time..."

Selene smiled and said, "I noticed you dancing with someone earlier. Who was that?"

After a brief explanation Tegan shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter; I'll never see him again since we travel in much different social circles..." She was silent for half a second before gushed out, "Ok you have got to tell me; was that cute red head that you were dancing with the Flash? I still can't believe that you know a superhero and you never said a word!"

Selene giggled. "Of course he wasn't the Flash! His name is Wally West...he was pretty cute."

"Oh...well who cares about him then. Tell us how you met the Flash!" Tegan looked eagerly at her friend and even Aaron, who had been sitting glumly in the back perked up slightly.

Selene turned pink and pulled out of the parking lot of the restaurant. "It wasn't anything that spectacular...There was an attack at my college a few weeks ago and the Flash happened to be close by and he came and pulled several of us out of the building before it collapsed." She stopped and saw that Tegan and Aaron were hanging onto her every word. She sighed and said, "He's a real flirt and he asked several of us girls there if we'd like to hit the coffee shop once he finished."

Tegan squealed. "Oh that's amazing! Nothing like that ever happens in my small town!" She gave Selene's arm a squeeze. "Go on, tell us what happened next!"

Selene explained that she and the other girls had decided to go the coffee shop and they had had a surreal coffee date with the famous Superhero.

Aaron sat observing the two girls talking about tonight's affairs. All he could think of was Wally and how he stole his only chance to make Selene his. The redhead would definitely feel his wrath if he ever showed his face near Selene again. His thoughts were interrupted as the car suddenly came to a halt.

Tegan fell back on her seat and Aaron fell on his face on the cushioned seat. He mentally made sure that Selene was wearing her seat belt.

"Selene! I know this is a big city, but you don't have to drive so recklessly." Tegan scolded her friend. "Why'd you stop?"

Selene said absolutely nothing. Her mouth was hanging open as she pointed a finger. The two friends' eyes darted towards the direction where Selene was pointing. To their astonishment they saw the Justice League fighting Lex Luthor in a gigantic green and purple robot. Selene and Tegan suddenly shrieked as Batman crashed into the windshield of the car.

"T-That was Batman!" Tegan squealed gleefully. "Do you think he's alright?"

"He just wrecked my car and your worried if he's ok?!" Selene snapped. "How am I supposed to tell my parents about this?! He better pay for the damages!"

Ignoring Selene's plight, Tegan clamored out of the car eager to see if the infamous superhero was alright. The dark knight shook the stars out of his head. Tegan slowly approached the caped crusader. "A-Are you ok?"

Batman glared at Tegan. "What are you doing here?! Get out of here now! It's not safe for civilians!" He then rejoined his teammates in attempting to subdue Luthor.

"Not so high and mighty are you Superman." Luthor taunted blasting Superman with a wave of bright green light from the center of his enormous robot.

Superman was unable to avoid the blast and the green beam sent him crashing into the building across the street. Large pieces of rubble fell to the street below and Tegan dived back into the car. "I just met Batman!" she gushed. "Can you believe it? This is the best vacation ever!"

Ignoring her star struck friend Selene shifted the car into reverse but when she looked over her shoulder she realized that several other cars had driven up. The owners of the vehicles were abandoning their transportation and running wildly in all directions. Realizing they were trapped in that spot Selene threw the car into park and yanked the keys out of the ignition. "C'mon you two, we're going to have to leave the car here."

Aaron immediately complied with Selene's wishes and jumped out of the car only to fall over and bang his head on the ground. Selene and Tegan jumped out also- and much more gracefully- and they rushed over to Aaron. He groaned slightly and sat up with a dazed expression on his face. Selene reached down and grabbed his arm and gave it a tug. "Get up Aaron! We need to get ou-!" Her sentence ended in a shriek as a sudden blur hit her and she found herself seemingly flying through the air.

When the world finally stopped moving she found herself at the end of the street along with a dazed looking Aaron and an ecstatic Tegan. It took Selene a moment to understand the babble coming from her friend.

"That was the Flash! THE FLASH! Oh I think I'm going to pass out..." Tegan fell back against the ground unable to stand from a combination of nerves and emotion.

Selene shook her head and turned her attention back to the battle. She had seen clips of the Justice League battles on the news but seeing it actually happen in person was another thing entirely. She drank in the scene and gasped as it seemed that the Lex Bot was prevailing. Easily the machine smacked Hawkgirl out of the sky and seemed to crush a flying Wonder Woman between its two hands. Tegan gasped but what she was about to say was interrupted by Aaron suddenly clamoring to his feet and shouting, "That's the woman I danced with!" Then he took off racing down the street back to the battle.

The two girls exchanged horrified glances. "He's going to get himself killed!" Selene said.

"That wouldn't be such a shame," replied Tegan with a shrug of her shoulders. At Selene's immediate glare she quickly added, "But of course we won't let that happen. Let's go get him before he does something stupid." The two girls removed their heels and stashed them underneath a nearby Post Office mail box.

Hitching up her dress to move faster Selene cast a mournful glance behind her towards the shoes. "I really hope we can get those back."

The two girls searched for their friend amidst the battle. Selene sighed and shook her head, "Where could he have run off too?" She then looked at Tegan and continued, "I think we're going to have to split up and look for him."

"Why?" Tegan asked with a straight face. "He's older than both of us. Plus he's a man...sort of. He can take care of himself." She gently squeezed Selene's arm. "Besides," she asked nervously, "It's past midnight, aren't there creeps and weirdoes running around at this time of night?"

"Not always," Selene reassured her friend. "Besides if we get into trouble the Justice League is technically around. I'm sure they would try to save us; they're superheroes it's what they do." The two friends quickly exchanged cell phone numbers in case they got into trouble or got lost amongst the chaos. Selene and Tegan split up and searched for their friend.

* * *

Already lost, Tegan wasn't sure where she was going anymore. She tried calling Selene but there was no signal coming from her cell phone. "Great." She muttered under breath. "A dead signal." She warily looked around making sure no one was behind or in front of her. "From what I've seen a bunch of movies this is the part where the psychopath comes up towards the unsuspecting tourist girl and guts her..." Her words were cut short as she heard groaning near a dumpster.

With only a moment's hesitation Tegan slowly approached the figure in pain. "H-Hey you? What's wrong?" She asked meekly. "Do you need a hospital?"

Tegan edged closer to the person and saw that they were leaning heavily against the dumpster. She immediately stopped and took a step back as she saw sea green hand reach out to her. "What the hell! What the hell are you?!" She shrieked almost falling backwards.

Martian Manhunter could not focus because of the raging fire arising from the battle with Luthor. Tegan's scream nearly deafened him as he slowly stood up. Straightening he realized that the figure before him was the girl from the dinner benefit he had danced with earlier. Then he realized that the fear in her eyes was not directed at the fiery battle going around them but at him. J'onn felt his spirits plummet but now was not the time for such things; the fires were burning closer and both he and Tegan would perish in them if they did not move. Ignoring Tegan's fearful whimper as he took a step towards her J'onn said gravely, "Come, we must leave this area."

J'onn grabbed her by the wrist and flew the both of them up onto the top of a nearby building. When they landed J'onn turned away to reenter the battle but he was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. He looked down at Tegan in surprise. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "T-thank you..." They stared at each other for a long moment before J'onn gave a stiff nod and flew off.

* * *

Down below Selene wasn't having much better luck. Although she knew the streets of the city everything seemed much different with all the rubble lying around and the occasional car being thrown overhead. Ducking behind a car on its side the young woman narrowly missed being hit in the face by a hunk of concrete. Silently she cursed her friend Aaron and continued on her way. She had barely gone three steps when suddenly there was a red blur and the Flash stood before her. His normally cheerful expression was replaced by a serious one and he had his arms folded over his chest. Selene's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"A little dangerous to be taking a midnight stroll don't you think?" his voice was stern.

Selene flushed slightly and replied, "I'm looking for my friend. He...er...got lost in the fray."

The Flash grinned. "Don't tell me your lame date from earlier is who you're looking for. He seems like the one to get stuck in the middle of a serious battle."

"How did you know about my friend?" asked Selene in shock.

Immediately the Flash rubbed the back of his head and said, "Did I saw that I knew him? My mistake; I thought you were someone else." He opened his mouth to say more when Green Lantern suddenly flew by yelling for him to come help.

"Looks like I'm needed elsewhere." He winked at Selene. "I'll be back in a minute." As he raced off Selene shook her head. Men.

* * *

Meanwhile Aaron was just a little ways ahead crouching beside a street lamp his eyes fastened on the Amazonian Princess, Wonder Woman. He hadn't paid much attention at the dinner who he had been dancing with to get closer to Selene but seeing Wonder Woman again left no doubt in his mind that she was the same person. He had held one of the most beautiful women in the world in his arms and he hadn't even noticed. He shook his at his folly. Surely she would survive this fight and he would get a chance to give Wonder Woman the attention she deserved. Aaron sighed amorously and stood up to find a better a better vantage point.

The Amazon Princess was too busy deflecting lethal beams from Luthor's robot to notice Aaron stalking her every movement. Delicately pressing her com-link, she contacted her teammates. "We have to get Superman out of here," she informed them. "He won't be able to survive another kryptonite blast from Luthor." She then proceeded pummeling the robot with her fists causing an uncomfortable bulge to appear in Aaron's pants. Swallowing hard, Aaron proceeded to watch the goddess fight.

Wonder Woman raised her fist to punch the robot again, but saw Hawkgirl fly forward and smack the giant robot with her mace. "I could've handled it." Wonder Woman said to her teammate who had just interrupted her fight.

"You said we needed to get Superman out of here as soon as possible," Hawkgirl replied. "The faster we destroy this thing, the faster we can get Superman back up to the Watch Tower." She then noticed Aaron watching Wonder Woman's movements. "...Did you know you've got an admirer down there?" She asked the Amazon Princess.

Wonder Woman's gaze fell on Aaron as Green Lantern now took up the fight. She sighed shaking her head. "Hera...why do the strange ones always watch me?"

Hawkgirl shrugged. "I would have thought you would be used to it because of the Flash."

Wonder Woman gazed down at Aaron. "I'd rather have the Flash watching me instead of that child...," She replied. "He kept fumbling over his feet when we were dancing earlier..." Staring down at Aaron she yelled, "Get out of here! It's too dangerous for you to be standing there by yourself!"

Snapping to attention, Aaron looked up. Could it be true? The amazon warrior actually noticed him. Aaron continued gawking at Wonder Woman although she seemed more agitated than a few moments before. His head filled with plots to get closer to the woman Aaron did not notice that there was someone behind them until it was too late.

* * *

From her vantage point on top of the roof Tegan could see clearly the battle going on before her. To her delight she saw the Justice League finally bringing the Lex Bot to its knees. Her glee was short lived however when the Injustice Gang appeared to fight the now tired heroes. Tegan covered her mouth in horror realizing that the Gang had probably set this trap to tire the heroes and then kill them at their low point. The horror was quickly replaced by anger.

"Those...Those jerks! Who do they think they are! They're going to wish they had never tricked the Justice League like this..." her voice trailed off as she watched Solomon Grundy punch Batman into a building.

Tegan brushed her hair out of her face. "I have got to find Selene...and Aaron so we can get the hell out of here."

With ease she was able to locate Selene crouched amongst the rubble no longer able to advance to wherever their male friend had run off to because of the newest villain arrivals. Relieved that she had located her friend Tegan now searched for a way to get off the building. This took several moments but she finally located a fire escape on the side of the building. Cursing her long gown Tegan clutched it in one hand as she slowly made her way down to street level.

Her foot had barely touched the floor when a voice behind her hissed, "Well, what is it that we have here?"

Tegan slowly turned and found herself face to face with the notorious villain Copperhead. His eyes gleamed as his tongue snaked out. Tegan recognized him immediately from a news story she had watched not too long ago. She eyed his sharp teeth and took a step backwards lifting her arms at the same time.

"Look Mister...er...Copperhead; you do not want to do anything to me."

"Ssseems to me asss though you aren't in a posssition to be making demandssssss." Copperhead replied as he moved forward, lowering his body into a crouch so he could pounce.

Feeling faint Tegan realized that she had quite possibly reached the end of her life.

* * *

Selene was worried. She had abandoned the search for Aaron and now she was desperately trying to find Tegan. Now that the Lex Bot had been destroyed the rest of the League, although tired, were fighting against the Injustice Gang. Superman had reappeared and after several well aimed punches he had brought Solomon Grundy down. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern incapacitated Star Sapphire and Hawkgirl was busy fighting against Ultra-Humanite.

Selene gripped her phone tightly in her hand as she dialed Tegan's number and began walking. To her surprise and relief she heard the sound of Tegan's ringtone. Selene quickened her pace and was in seconds at the mouth of alleyway where she discovered her friend in the clutches of Copperhead.

"Tegan!" Selene's voice startled the villain and his grip on the woman loosened.

Feeling the slackening in his arms Tegan twisted out of his grip with a shriek and ran forward. She grabbed Selene's arm and without stopping Tegan dragged her out of the alley and turned right. The two girls ran without stopping until they reached the end of the block. Breathing heavily they collapsed against a building as they tried to regain their bearings.

Brushing hair out of her face Selene started to say something when her eyes caught sight of an unconscious Aaron several feet away. "Aaron!" she cried out and rushed forward.

Tegan followed close behind and together they knelt beside their friend. "Do you think he's dead?" whispered Tegan.

Selene shook her head. "No, look, he's breathing."

"I wonder what happened to him." Tegan said as she shook Aaron's shoulder.

"I don't care what happened to him," Selene said grimly. "Let's just get him up so we can get out of here!"

Together the two girls managed to rouse their fallen friend. Aaron groaned as his eyes opened and he touched the top of his head with a wince.

"Wh...What happened?" He groaned as he attempted to sit up.

Tegan helped him and said, "We just found you right now. If you weren't injured I would slap you. What were you thinking running off like that?"

Aaron bit his bottom lip replying, "The woman I danced with tonight was Wonder Woman...I needed to get closer to her."

Selene could feel her eye twitch at Aaron's words. "You took off so you could get closer to Wonder Woman in the middle of a battle? Are you insane?" She shook her head and stood up. "C'mon lets go back to my house."

Her two friends stood and they began to walk. They hadn't gone far when quite suddenly Copperhead and Shade appeared before them. Copperhead hissed and locked his eyes on Tegan. "There she issss Shade."

Shade whirled his nightstick in his hands and said, "You sure know how to pick them Copperhead. At least this time she's more attractive than the girl from last week." He raised his nightstick and pointed it at the three friends.

Before he could surround them all in shadow a voice cackled behind him and a familiar looking man appeared and threw his arms around the two villains. The Joker grinned hideously at the three of them as he said, "Don't you just love innocent civilians? They're so useful."

Copperhead and Shade glared at the other villain and the Joker said innocently, "Oh dear me, was I interrupting something?"

"Yes you were." said Batman from above them as he swooped down and kicked all three of the villains to the ground.

Tegan, Selene and Aaron did not hesitate. They ran.

* * *

_Run, run, run_... Over and over the words raced across Selene's mind as she ran across the street. Beside her ran Tegan. As they rounded a corner a winded Tegan wheezed out, "I...am...going...to KILL YOU AARON!"

Behind the girls ran Aaron who stumbled slightly as he replied, "I'm sorry I never meant for any of this to happen."

Aaron stumbled again and this time he wasn't so lucky. He fell flat on his face with a cry. Selene and Tegan looked at each other and with only the slightest hesitation they stopped.

"We're all going to die," muttered Tegan darkly as she turned back and grabbed Aaron by his arm and yanked him up.

Selene couldn't help but agree with her friend's sentiment. Quietly she crept to the edge of the building and peered around the corner. The coast was clear. She waved her friends to move faster and when they had joined her Selene whispered, "Look, we can throw blame around once we leave this God forsaken place. Right now let's concentrate on getting the hell out of here and back to my house."

Aaron reached up and fiddled nervously with his glasses. "But we don't know where we are."

With a scowl Selene peeked around the edge of the building and studied the street. Relaxing slightly she said, "I think I know where we are. If we head south on this street we can get back to whe-"

A deep chuckle from behind them cut off Selene's words.

"Leaving the little party so soon? That's rather rude don't you think?"

The three friends turned around, faces pale and limbs trembling as they looked into the face of the Joker. His face twisted into a smile as he stepped forward and squeezed the flower on his lapel. The purple smoke that drifted out slammed into a wall of green and the three friends gasped in astonishment. The Green Lantern hovered over them and was using his ring to shield them from the poisonous laughing gas. The Joker's face fell but before he could do anything Hawkgirl swooped up behind him and hit him hard over the head with her mace. The villain toppled over and police swarmed over as the green shield was lowered.

"I don't know about you guys," said Aaron weakly. "But I wouldn't mind heading to bed now."

The two girls murmured their assent and with no further drama the three friends wearily trudged home.

* * *

**And that is the end of chapter one! After the nights thrilling events will anything else be able to top it during the rest of Tegan's visit? Will the girls be able to reconnect with the charming men they met? Will Aaron ever get a life?**

**All that and more in the next and final chapter of Fates Intertwined...**


	2. The Bar of Romance

**Welcome to the next chapter of Fates Intertwined. I had a lot of fun writing this fic and I hope that all of you will have enjoyed reading it. And don't forget to leave a review!**

* * *

The next morning found the three of them deep asleep. Aaron, since he had not had the foresight to rent a hotel room, was laying face first on the couch. There was a guest room but he had been much too exhausted to find it once they had arrived to the house. Tegan and Selene had almost stayed there in the living room also but Tegan had wanted to take a shower so the two girls had migrated to Selene's bedroom.

Tegan could have spent the entire day sleeping away and she would have if it hadn't been for an annoying buzzing near her face. With a groan she rolled to her left and collided with a chair. Tegan winced and opened her eyes momentarily confused. As her eyes focused she remembered she was now in New York lying on the floor of her best friend's room. The buzzing continued to sound and with a sigh Tegan grabbed her phone. A quick glance at the screen confirmed it was her mother.

It took a while to convince her mother that she was alright and no she had not been in any danger at all. Tegan rolled her eyes; her mother was a bit on the dramatic side and when her daughter hadn't answered the phone the first six times she had tried calling the worst was immediately assumed. After what seemed like a lifetime Tegan managed to get her mom off of the phone and she sat up. She looked over at the bed where Selene lay slumbering and stood up. There was no way she would be able to go back to sleep now

Quietly Tegan moved around the room and bathroom getting ready to take a walk. Once she was outside a smile blossomed across her face. Tegan didn't spend much time exercising but after all the drama of the previous evening she felt the need to go for a walk to clear her mind. Heading south down the street Tegan wondered what were the odds that in one night she could meet two men that could affect her. The first of course was John Jones.

He may have been older but Tegan didn't mind. She had always enjoyed the company of those older than her and recently she had discovered that the young men of her town could no longer interest her. Tegan couldn't stand the way they spent the majority of their days goofing off or doing other stupid things. She was more interested in someone she could have an intelligent conversation with. Someone like John. He was handsome and he was pleasant to talk to. Not to mention the fact that he was an excellent dancer. Coming across a park Tegan turned into it and her thoughts turned to that of the second man: the Martian Manhunter.

Tegan hadn't recognized him last night but a few discreet questions to Selene on the walk back to her house had provided answers. Tegan felt guilty now that when she had come across him in the alleyway she had shrieked like a banshee. Surely such behavior was offensive to him and to top it off he had saved her life from the fire. Tegan sighed and walked slowly down the sidewalk wishing there was some way she could see him again to apologize. Once she had calmed down his alien features had not seemed so fearsome. And his voice...Tegan shivered slightly. She wouldn't mind hearing his voice again.

* * *

Aaron awoke to the sounds of barking. With a moan he sat up and found himself face to face with a semi-small black Labrador retriever. Clearly he was still a puppy. The animal stared at Aaron curiously and was on alert. He didn't recognize this stranger on his owner's couch.

"What's this?" Aaron inquired curiously staring at the dog in front of him. "Selene has a dog…" He mused to himself. "Just like I used to back home..." He then muttered about him and Selene being soul mates which irritated the dog and he began barking wildly.

Hearing her dog bark, Selene's eyes flew open and without a moment's hesitation jumped out of bed, still in her clothes from last night and ran down the steps to see what was bothering her pet. She saw her normally friendly pet barking viciously at Aaron. "Zack!" Selene scolded.

Coming to attention the dog named Zack ran over to Selene wagging his tail happily and snuggling into her lap.

Selene giggled and patted the animal gently. "Silly dog, you don't bark at my friends." She kissed his wet nose and looked at Aaron. "Sorry about him, he gets like that whenever he sees someone new." She curiously looked around. "Where's Tegan? She wasn't in the room."

"I don't know," Aaron shrugged carelessly. "I just woke up thanks to your dog." He reached down to pet Zack, but the animal was still cautious around this new visitor.

"It's ok Zack," Selene soothed her pet. "You don't have to worry about him, he won't hurt you."

Zack carefully trotted over towards Aaron who patted the animal on the head. Zack wagged his tail in delight enjoying the affection from this stranger he had barked at earlier. Aaron gazed at Selene since she was still wearing her dress from last night.

Before Aaron could say a word to her, he saw Selene run back up the steps and then heard the shower moments later. Obediently Zack sat on the steps and waited for Selene to return. His ears perked up as he heard the front door open. It was Tegen.

"Oh my goodness...aren't you adorable!" Tegan cooed seeing Zack and then affectionately picked him up. Zack wiggled in Tegan's arms as she carried him back to the living room. Noticing some pop tarts on the dining table Tegan snagged one. She loved the sugary breakfast food. Setting Zack on the ground Tegan ripped open the foil package and noticed Aaron seated on the couching looking exhausted. She handed him the second pop tart and chatted with him for several minutes. The sound of footsteps brought their gaze up and they found Selene standing before them wearing a collared white shirt and black dress pants.

"Are you going on a date?!" Tegan exclaimed flailing her arms in the air. "It's with the Flash isn't it?!"

"No..." Selene replied calmly. "I've got to go to work."

Tegan frowned. "Oh right…I nearly forgot about that." She suddenly looked horrified. "So I'm supposed to stay here with that?!" She exclaimed pointing her finger at Aaron.

"I'm not bad company am I?" Aaron asked innocently as he tossed Zack a dog treat from the table. Zack leaped in the air catching the treat in his mouth and remained by Selene's side.

Selene smiled giving her dog a loving pat on the head. "You should've brought your dog here too, Tegan," She told her friend. "She and Zack would've been awesome friends!"

Feeling left out, Aaron sighed remembering that he lost his dog earlier this year. Selene smiled at her friends and told them, "My parents are still asleep so you guys can help yourselves to anything in the fridge while I'm gone."

"No way!" Tegan yelled at her friend. "You're not abandoning me, especially after last night's fiasco! We're coming with you!" Hearing Tegan say this, Aaron's heart almost leapt with joy. He had always wanted to see Selene worked.

Selene shrugged. "Oh alright, you guys can come with me. Just promise me you won't make a big commotion out of it."

Tegan snickered. "She's talking about you Aaron."

* * *

As Selene manned the register at the bookstore she worked at Aaron and Tegan wandered the aisles. Surprisingly the two of them shared similar interests in books so for the next three hours they went from book to book discussing characters, scenes, and hidden plots. Eventually the two of them tired of the books and with a quick wave at Selene they exited the store.

Aaron frowned as they walked down the street. "Is it a good idea to leave the store right now?"

Tegan rolled her eyes and replied, "We were there for three hours. Besides, Selene is working. We can meet up with her as soon as she gets off." They walked down the street for a few minutes before spotting a coffee shop. Since they had skipped breakfast they decided to go in and get a snack.

As they entered Tegan was surprised to see the Flash seated there with four women. The speedster was regaling them with a tale of the previous night's events. Aaron immediately stiffened but Tegan brightened and let out a squeal. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe he's here...I need to go get Selene!" She grabbed Aaron's arm and said sternly, "Stay here and keep an eye on him! If he looks like he's starting to leave them stall him!"

Before Aaron could say a word Tegan had run out of the coffee shop and was racing down the street to where the bookstore was located. He glared at the super hero remembering that the other man had given Selene a card. Aaron snorted and seated himself at a table. How dare he give Selene a card and then go out with other women. Didn't he realize that made him a cad? Tegan had asked him to keep an eye on the superhero but Aaron resolutely turned his back on the other man-figuratively speaking since he was seated in a chair facing the man- and contemplated ordering coffee.

* * *

When she reached the bookstore once more Tegan slowed down and entered the store at a normal pace. A quick glance at the counter showed that Selene was no longer there. Quickly Tegan moved deeper into the store and soon found her friend near the children's books restocking some of the items. With a look to make sure Selene's manager was nowhere in sight Tegan grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged her around a display where they would be out of view.

Selene gasped and asked, "Tegan what the hell? I know Aaron's probably driving you insane but you can't be doing this to me at work!"

Tegan replied apologetically, "Sorry Selene but this was an emergency. The Flash is in the coffee house across the street. You HAVE to go over there. This is your chance to get him."

"As great as that sounds I can't just walk out and leave." Selene said flatly.

Tegan frowned. Her friend had a point. Unless... "Who's your manager again?"

She and Selene stood up and after a moment Tegan found herself looking at an older gentleman. He had average looks and according to her friend he was unmarried although it was unclear whether or not he was attached to anyone. Tegan brightened slightly and said, "Alright...I'm going to distract your manager. I can buy you about 15-20 minutes to go down to the coffee shop and to talk to the Flash and hopefully secure a date with him later tonight."

Selene immediately shook her head. "What! No, that's insane...I couldn't do that."

Tegan glared at her friend and snapped, "You can and you will." She turned to track the movements of the manager. "Besides," Tegan added casually. "I left Aaron there alone on the coffee shop with him. Who knows what sorts of things he's gotten himself into?"

"You did what!" Selene groaned and said, "Fine! I'll go over there...but if I end up fired at the end of this I will personally kill you."

Tegan gave her friend a quick hug and said, "Don't worry, it'll be fine. Now, don't leave until you see me go with the manager into his office...and remember you'll only have 15-20 minutes to do your thing." Without waiting for a response she walked off resolutely to where Selene's manager stood speaking quietly with another employee.

"Excuse me," Tegan said in a sugary sweet voice. "But are you the manager? May I have a private word with you?"

* * *

Selene slipped out of the store and hoped that this entire thing wouldn't be in vain. She walked down the street and immediately spotted the coffee shop. Hurrying across the street she entered and saw that what Tegan said was true; the Flash was there along with several admiring females. Aaron sat near him resolutely ignoring the red superhero.

Aaron immediately spotted Selene and to her chagrin his face lit up and said loudly, "Selene! There you are!"

Aaron's loud exclamation caused everyone in the coffee shop to stop speaking and turn to Selene with curious eyes. Selene cringed, uncomfortable with all the attention. Thankfully the faces were all blocked by the Flash whizzing up to her. He grinned down at her and said, "Fancy meeting you again."

Selene flushed and replied, "Hello…again." She mentally slapped herself for such a weak response.

"I hope you're not here to meet with him." The Flash said with a curl of his lip as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Aaron.

Shaking her head Selene blurted out, "I came in here to see you."

This news pleased the superhero. "Is that so? Well then…maybe we could meet up later. Get to know each other on a…more personal level."

Before Selene could give a response the Flash's eyes shifted away from her and he touched a hand to his ear. He grumbled something under his breath and looking back at Selene he said apologetically, "Sorry, duty calls."

Dazed the young woman could only nod as he grinned down at her and then sped off.

* * *

Tegan stepped out of the manager's office feeling tainted but knew it would all be worth it if her friend could have a chance to get together with one a real superhero. Adjusting her shirt she wound her way through the bookshelves and stepped out of the store. Instantly she spotted Selene walking towards her on the sidewalk. To Tegan's relief the other girl grinned. "I trust everything went well?"

Selene nodded, a slight blush rising up her face. "Yeah…We have a date for later. I think." She hugged Tegan. "Thanks for helping me out."

"Just doing my best friend duties although," Tegan paused remembering and grimaced. "I won't be doing anything like that again anytime soon."

Curiously Selene asked, "What was it that you did anyways?"

Pushing her friend back into the bookstore Tegan shook her head. "Never mind that! Get back to work; I'll be back in a few hours at the end of your shift." She waved at her friend at and headed down the street in the opposite direction of the coffee shop. Tegan had no desire to go back to Aaron. He would definitely be in a bad mood after seeing Selene together with the Flash.

Tegan sighed and pushed her hands into the pockets of the light sweater she wore. If only there was some way that she could find John Jones. She would love to go out with him and get to know him better. But what she had told Selene was the truth; they traveled in completely different social circles so there was no possible way for the two of them to meet again. The thought depressed her and Tegan slowly walked back to Selene's home.

* * *

Later that evening Selene found Tegan back at her house. Selene had been worried because after she had finished her shift at work Tegan had never come back. She had left several messages on the other girl's phone but to no avail. In the end she had decided to go back home but had been waylaid by Aaron. The young man had insisted on treating her to lunch and after they had eaten at a nearby sandwich shop Aaron had cajoled Selene into showing him a bit of the downtown area.

She had done so reluctantly and had ended the tour as soon as possible. Then she and Aaron had returned to her home where they found Selene's parents in the living room. The older couple greeted their daughter happily and after several minutes of pleasant chatter they left for an evening out. Selene left Aaron there and had gone upstairs and discovered Tegan face down on her bed. Hesitantly Selene touched the other girl's shoulder. Tegan groaned and turned her face to look up at Selene sleepily.

"What's going on?"

Selene brushed her hair back from her face and chided gently, "Tegan, you were supposed to meet me after work. I was worried sick when you didn't show up!"

All traces off sleepiness on Tegan's face were replaced by horror and she snatched up her cell phone and glared at the screen. "Seven P.M.? That's impossible! It only feels like I've been asleep an hour at the most! Not five!"

"Don't look so stunned. You're probably jet lagged." Selene said with a giggle.

Tegan sat up and moved so there was enough room for Selene on the bed. With a yawn she asked, "Are you going to be getting ready for your date with the Flash now?"

Biting her bottom lip Selene hesitated before responding. She and the handsome superhero had never exactly set a time for when they were supposed to get together in the evening. What was the point in getting ready if there was 99% possibility that this date wouldn't happen? She said as much to Tegan and the girl scowled saying, "Oh please. Go take a shower and get dressed or whatever. If he said he wanted to get together with you tonight then he will find you. He's the fastest man alive; it'll be a piece of cake for him to track you down."

Selene nodded slowly. "Alright…I suppose that does make some sense. But you're coming with me."

"Uh…no I'm not. I'm not about to a third wheel on what's going to be your super-hot date."

Selene did her best puppy dog impression. "You're going to let me go out there on my own to wait for him? What if some creep starts hitting on me?"

Tegan snorted and stood up. "Then you kick the jerk in the balls but if you insist then I'll be happy to join you. We can hit a bar or something."

An hour later the two girls made their way downstairs dressed to the nines. Selene wore a tight fitting mini dress with strappy heels. Her short hair had been swept backwards and jewels glittered at her ears and neck. Light makeup completed the look along with a small clutch purse. Tegan wore a similar styled dress but instead of heels her feet with enclosed in knee high boots. Her long hair cascaded down her back in loose curls. Tegan's makeup was dark and she wore no jewelry except for a slim watch on her wrist. She had a small wristlet and she used it to bop Aaron over the head as they entered the living room.

Aaron started at them with his mouth hanging open. Last night the two females had looked stunning; tonight they looked stunning on a completely different level. A sexy confidence exuded from them and Aaron was hard-pressed not to get caught up in it. He was thankfully for the pillow he was able to casually slide over his lap. No need for them to be getting the wrong ideas about what was occurring. He cleared his throat and asked, "Where are you two off to?"

Selene hesitated for a moment before replying, "To a bar downtown…I'm going to try and meet the Flash there."

Aaron's face dropped and the look of utter dejection caused guiltiness to well up in the two girls.

With a groan Tegan said, "If you don't have anything that makes you look stupid then you're free to come join us. I guess we co-!" She stopped short when Aaron launched himself off the couch and yelled enthusiastically over his shoulder, "I'll be ready in ten minutes!"

True to his word Aaron returned within ten minutes having changed his clothes and fixed his hair. The three friends left the house and taking a taxi went to a popular bar located downtown. To their delight it was Ladies' Night which meant half off on any drinks they bought. Once inside the beat of the music overwhelmed them and all they could do was stand and stare at the writhing bodies on the dance floor.

Tegan in particular was surprised. She had only been to the bars in her towns which were honky tonks; small places were those who had worked hard during the day to eke out their living could come to relax with a cold beer and the companionship of friends. This place was the complete opposite. There was a large dance floor, private booths and niches and a long bar that seemed armed to the nines with beers and wines.

As the song changed Tegan said loudly, "I'll go buy us some drinks. You guys can snag us a table unless…" she paused smiling slyly. "Unless you two are planning to dance."

The expression on Selene's face caused Tegan to quickly make her way to the bar.

Fuming at Tegan's back Selene did her best to avoid Aaron's gaze as he stared at her like a hopeful puppy. To her relief a table near them emptied of its occupants and squaring her shoulders Selene went to it. She slid on a stool and stared at the dance floor as Aaron seated himself beside her. She bit her lip. Hopefully Tegan was right and the Flash would find her. There was no guarantee of course but stranger things had been known to happen…

Momentarily distracted by her thoughts Selene almost didn't notice the man until he was directly in front of her. It wasn't until Aaron nudged her that Selene realized that they had company. Blinking she looked straight up into the green eyes of Wally West. Selene felt her heart flutter and hoped her face wasn't too red. "Wally! I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Wally smiled warmly and said easily, "I couldn't believe it when I saw you enter the room. I had to come over and say hello."

Pleased at his words Selene said, "Well it's really nice to see you again. Er…" She pointed at Aaron. "You remember my uh friend from the other night? His name is Aaron."

Aaron stared coolly at Wally but said nothing. Wally shifted uncomfortably and replied, "Yeah I remember him." He focused his attention back on Selene. "Care to take a spin?"

"I'd love to!" Selene said eagerly but then she remembered the reason why she was there and her face fell slightly. "I don't think it's a good idea though…I'm supposed to be meeting with someone here."

Wally looked uncomfortable again for a moment but Selene felt she had imagined it when he smiled brightly at her. "Well then why don't we do this? Let's give your date 15 minutes to make it here. If he's not here by then we can hit the dance floor for a little while."

Aaron mumbled something underneath his breath but Selene ignored him. She stared into Wally's eyes and found herself smiling slowly at him. "15 minutes then."

* * *

Meanwhile Tegan stood on the other side of the room waiting for her drink order to be filled. She turned to look for her friends and after several moments of searching Tegan was shocked to see that Selene was talking to the redhead from the dinner benefit they had gone to the other night. Her brow puckered with concern. This was not good. If the Flash did show up this redhead was going to ruin Selene's chance to get with a superhero. The bartender slid three drinks towards Tegan and without hesitation she snatched them up and rushed them over to her table.

Slamming the drinks down on the table Tegan said with a fake smile, "Well isn't this a great surprise? Wally West right?"

To her disgust Wally smiled at her and grinned saying, "Yup that's my name! You must be Selene's friend Tegan."

Tegan narrowed her eyes at him and turned to face Aaron. "Why don't you and Selene go dance for a bit?" She turned back to Wally with a darkening expression. "I'll keep an eye out for your date."

Before Selene could protest Aaron eagerly grabbed her hand and dragged her onto to the dance floor. At that moment a slow song started playing and Tegan winced inwardly. Selene was going to murder her but whatever. It was her duty to protect her friend's chance with the Flash. If this idiot Wally got involved he would ruin everything. Picking up the beer she had ordered Tegan placed it to her mouth and gave it a long drag as she turned to look at Wally. He was staring at her with a sympathetic expression on his face. Tegan resisted the urge to wipe it off his face and snapped, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Wally sighed and said, "It's ok, I understand you have…"he paused before finishing delicately, "feelings for Selene but I don't think that she swings that way."

Tegan choked on her drink and gaped at him in shock. "You think I'm in love with Selene?"

Wally reached over and patted Tegan's arm. "No need to be ashamed. All of us have had that one forbidden person we uh desire but getting jealous and sending her off to dance with that loser was a little over the top don't you think?"

"I don't have feels for Selene that way you idiot." Tegan said crossly. "She's here to meet with another man! How do you think he'll feel if he comes in here and sees her with you?"

Laughing Wally said teasingly, "How do you know I'm not the one she's supposed to be meeting?"

Tegan gave him an incredulous look. "You are as opposite of a superhero as you can get. Sorry but you're better off just leaving her alone."

"Well sorry to you Tegan but I can't do that," replied Wally in a surprisingly firm tone. Then his lips quirked upwards. "Instead of acting like a guard dog for your friend why don't you just find a man in here and enjoy your evening."

Tegan took another sip of her beer and gave the bar a cursory look. "No thanks. I'm just here for moral support."

Wally groaned inwardly and eased back in his seat. There was no way he could take off with Selene if this friend of hers didn't get off his back. He had meant to come here in costume but the speedster had meant what he said about getting to know the girl on a more personal level. Wally was interested in Selene sincerely but with the Flash's reputation as a flirtatious superhero there was no way he could do that. Privately anyways. Wally sighed and watched as Selene danced stiffly with her friend.

If only GL was here; he was in a relationship with Shaynara but the man was suave enough to be Wally's wingman without compromising anything. Wally considered calling him for a moment to come assist him but then remembered that John had gone off into space for his Green Lantern duties. Wally quickly nixed Batman off his list. No way was Bat going to exit his cave to be Wally's wingman. That left Superman and J'onn. Wally brightened slightly because both men were in the watch tower along with Hawkgirl who was on duty. In reality neither of them needed to be up there_. Or Wonder Woman for that matter_ Wally thought with a glance at Selene's dorky guy friend.

With a wide grin Wally hopped off his chair and said innocently to the suspicious looking Tegan, "I'll be right back. I need to make a call."

* * *

After what seemed like a torturous lifetime Selene pulled herself away from Aaron and said firmly, "Alright enough dancing. I'm getting tired and I don't want to be exhausted if…if the Flash shows up."

Aaron pouted but Selene ignored him and made her way through the crowd back to her table where she found a slightly tipsy Tegan. Realizing her friend was alone Selene felt disappointed and asked, "Wally left?"

A grin curled Tegan's lips and she said, "Oh please I wish he were gone. That would make tonight so much easier." She sighed dramatically. "He went to go make a phone call."

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Well the sooner he leaves the better." He looked down at the table and his mouth dropped open. "You drank all our beer?"

Tegan laughed and pointed towards the bar. "Feel free to get us some more beers."

As Aaron ambled off Selene glared at her friend and snapped, "What's wrong with you? I didn't want to dance with Aaron! I was having a perfectly good time talking to Wally!"

"Exactly," Tegan snapped back. "Wally. Not the Flash. Why are you wasting your time on him anyways?"

"I'm not wasting my time Tegan. Wally is a perfectly nice guy and in case you didn't notice he's handsome and…" Selene's voice trailed off as Wally returned to the table.

Wally smiled apologetically. "Sorry, some of my friends are meeting me here and I needed to give them directions to the bar."

Selene smiled back at him and said, "That's alright I just got here myself."

"You have…." Wally paused to glance at the watch on his wrist. "Four minutes left." He winked. "You ready to have some fun?"

Purposely ignoring Tegan, Selene blushed softly and nodded. Who needed a superhero when there was a flesh and blood man before her? To be honest now that Wally was here Selene had no interest in seeing the Flash. She couldn't lie, it had been heart stopping to get that invitation from the Flash but he was a flirt and seemed to chase anyone with a skirt. Did she really want someone like that? As she mentally kicked the Flash to the curb Wally raised his towards the entrance and waved some people over.

As they drew closer Selene couldn't help but think that the two people walking towards them looked familiar. The woman was tall and her athletic build gave evidence to hours of exercise. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders in no particular style but it did not do anything to detract from the beauty of her face. Sharp blue eyes met Selene's and for no particular the young woman blushed. Uncomfortable she turned to look at the man walking beside her. He was also quite tall and his dark skin looked soft with the dim light of the bar. Although he was dressed casually there was an uneasy air to him. As he and the woman stepped up to the table Selene heard Tegan gasp beside her.

The next thing Selene knew Tegan had her by the arm and was dragging her onto the dance floor.

"Tegan what the hell are you doing?" Selene yanked her arm free and was in the process of scowling when she noticed the look of sheer terror on her friend's face. Immediately concerned Selene touched Tegan's arm. "What's wrong?"

Tegan took a deep breath and whispered, "That was John! John Jones!"

"The guy you danced with? That's great! You can get a chance to know him a little better." Selene said adding silently, _and leave me and Wally alone_.

Tegan bit her bottom lip. "But we met at the swanky dinner party and now I'm in…in some sexual bar!"

Selene couldn't help but laugh at those words. Hugging her friend she said giggling, "Don't be so dramatic; this is hardly some scandalous club and besides he's here too. C'mon, I know you really liked him. Don't miss this opportunity."

* * *

Selene was right Tegan thought as they wound their way through dancers to reach the others at the table. She was completely over reacting for no reason. Steeling her nerves Tegan made sure to put an extra bit of swing into her hips as took the last few steps to the table. Immediately her eyes met those of John and her heart rate accelerated.

Their eyes locked on each other Tegan flushed red and breathed out, "H….Hello John."

The tiniest hint of a smile touched the older man's lips. "Hello again Tegan."

A moment of brief silence followed before Wally asked incredulously, "Wait a minute you two know each other?"

Tegan managed to tear her eyes away from John to look at Wally and say, "Yes…we met the night of the dinner benefit." She turned back to John and asked shyly, "Would you like to go get a drink?"

John's gazed soften slightly and he nodded. "Yes. I would like that."

Ignoring the stunned looks of their friends at the table Tegan and John walked over to the bar and ordered drinks before settling themselves at a private table. Taking a small sip of her beer Tegan admitted, "I never would have expected to find you in a bar."

John looked slightly embarrassed and shifted. "It is not my usual preference. I am merely here to assist my te….friend."

Tegan looked back over to where Wally sat at the table casually introducing the tall woman to Aaron who had appeared laden with drinks. To her surprise he set the drinks down, rounded the table and attempted to hug the tall woman. She easily pushed him away and that was when Tegan recognized the tall woman for who she really was: Princess Diana of the Amazons. More than a little surprised Tegan said, "Wow…You and I have two very different social circles."

"Why would you say that?" asked John curiously.

Brushing her hair back from her face Tegan replied easily, "Well none of _my_ friends are princesses."

John looked at her quietly for a moment before stating, "This bothers you."

Tegan's face flushed red and she turned her face away from John's. It did bother her but not for the reasons that he thought. She could care less if his friend was a dancing bear. What bothered Tegan was the fact that Diana was extremely attractive. Tegan wasn't by any means ugly but when compared to the beautiful Amazon…A warm hand covering hers pulled Tegan from her thoughts. Surprised she looked at John who was staring at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Tegan…you are…." John paused, searching for the right words to say.

When he didn't say anything Tegan raised an eyebrow and asked, "I'm what?"

A flush touched John's cheeks. "You are quite becoming. You have no need to feel inferior to anyone."

Astonished that he had guessed exactly what she had been thinking Tegan downed the rest of her beer and jumped out of her chair. Pushing her insecurities aside Tegan grabbed the man's hand. She tugged John off of the chair.

"Come on, let's dance."

* * *

Selene watched as her friend pulled John onto the dance floor and then glanced at her watch. 15 minutes had passed and her superhero date had failed to show. Only slightly disappointed Selene turned to Wally and said smiling, "Looks like your date is a no show…care to hit the dance floor?"

Wally grinned and stood up holding out his hand. "Don't mind if I do." He replied cheerfully. Selene took his hand and the two of them made their way over to the dance floor leaving behind an agitated Diana and an amorous Aaron. Moving closer to Wally, Selene allowed the redhead to slide his arm around her waist and the two of them moved in time to the music. The beat of the music, the heat radiating from Wally's body and the sensations he created within Selene made her want to do something impulsive. Opening her eyes Selene's gaze met with that of Tegan.

In only the way that close friends can their eyes held a conversation.

_I…I really want to… _Selene's eyes darkened and her face flushed.

Tegan's face broke into a grin and she winked. _Ah what the hell. Go for it._

_You should too._ Selene responded silently before turning her eyes up to Wally. As if on cue the music slowed down to the something sensual and to her delight Wally pulled her close. Selene leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed contently as his hands stroked her back. One of her hands made its way to the back of his neck and she gently ran her fingers up and down. Wally's arms tightened around her and Selene looked up at him a jolt going through her at the look in his eyes. _Well Tegan said to go for it…_Selene thought briefly as she pulled Wally's head down and kissed him full on the lips.

Wally's eyes widened comically but the laughter was chased away when his hands were suddenly on Selene's face angling her head so that he could deepen the kiss. An electric thrill flew down her spine as Wally teased her lips apart and slid his tongue into her mouth. Selene welcomed the invasion and for long moments they clung to each other in their passionate embrace. When they finally pulled apart both of them were breathing heavily and Wally had a stunned expression on his face.

He swallowed hard and with a shaky hand brushed some of Selene's hair back from her face. "Wow...That was uh…awesome." Wally said.

Selene smiled up at him and replied shyly, "That was pretty great."

They continued dancing for a few more minutes before Wally blurted out, "Wanna head somewhere more private?" He winced as the music stopped and his words seemed amplified.

Several people turned towards them with curious looks but Selene did her best to ignore them. Without hesitating she nodded. "Yeah…I'd like that a lot."

"Alright!" Wally grinned widely and led her from the dance floor. Giving a brief wave to Diana and Aaron the young couple walked out of the bar and into the night air.

* * *

Aaron barely noticed as Selene and Wally walked by and left the bar. He was much too busy staring at the goddess that was Diana Prince or Wonder Woman as she was more commonly known. Her long dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders and she wore a figure flattering black dress with some strappy heels. She looked at him and sighed. "Hera…Why on earth did I agree to this?"

"I don't know who Hera is but give me a few hours and you can get to know me." Aaron said. He leaned closer to the beautiful Amazonian and didn't notice her inching backwards away from him.

Diana shook her head and said politely, "Ah…no thank you. I need to be leaving soon."

Aaron frowned in disappointment. "So soon? Well that can't be helped I guess…." He brightened slightly. "Shall we dance until the time comes for you to leave?"

To Aaron's surprise Diana agreed hesitantly. Leaping to his feet Aaron eagerly took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Expertly he swung Diana into his arms and moved her in time to the music. He didn't care that she towered over him by several inches; Diana was the most beautiful woman in the room and Aaron was thrilled to be dancing with her.

Diana looked down at him in surprise and said, "You are a surprisingly adept dancer."

A grin curved Aaron's lips upwards. "I took lessons as a child. I didn't appreciate it then but with you in my arms I can only be grateful that I did so."

"I am grateful also," said Diana as they moved easily. She frowned slightly. "How is it then that you were dancing so terribly the night of the benefit dinner?"

Aaron flushed slightly and replied honestly, "I was trying to get closer to my date for the evening and didn't pay much mind to where I was stepping. Forgive me for being a fool."

Diana only smiled at him in response. For the next several minutes they danced in silence. Aaron pulled her slightly closer as the music slowed but to his disappointment Diana suddenly straightened and touched a hand delicately to her ear.

"Yes I'm here." She said crisply. "Mmm…I can be there in 10 minutes. Please don't do anything unnecessary." Diana looked down at Aaron and said apologetically, "I'm sorry but I must go now. Thank you for the dance."

Sadly Aaron dropped his arms and watched as the woman of his dreams walked away from him and out of the bar.

* * *

Tegan and John had danced for a while before tiring and moving to sit down in a darkened corner to talk some more. Now Tegan sat alone since John had left to go use the washroom. As the song playing changed to one with a fast beat she bit back a laugh thinking of how uncomfortable John had seemed dancing to the fast paced music. But once the music had slowed…Tegan could feel her insides warming. If only there were a way to suspend time so that this night could last forever Tegan mused. There was a very real chance that after tonight she would never see John again and Tegan wasn't eager to let that happen.

The young woman was pulled from her thoughts when John returned and pulled her up from the chair. Tegan's smile faded at the serious look on John's face. "What's wrong?"

John replied gravely, "I am sorry but I must go now." He paused before dipping his head in a polite nod and saying, "Thank you for a pleasurable evening." He turned and began to walk away.

Horrified Tegan could only stand there staring at his retreating figure. Anger simmered through her body. She had been convinced that she and John were having a wonderful time but apparently not. The anger burned harder as she realized that Diana was also walking towards the exit. So this was the _real_ reason he had to leave. John stopped suddenly to turn and look at her and Tegan glared at him. If he wanted to leave with his little girlfriend then by all means she wouldn't stop him.

Angry tears pricked at her eyes and Tegan whirled around no longer able to continue watching him. With a shaking hand she reached into her wristlet and grabbed her cell phone. In a few seconds she sent a text to Selene.

_Headed home._

Stuffing the phone back into the wristlet Tegan swiped at the tears and turned around bumping into John. She gasped and finding herself unbalanced tipped backwards. John's hands caught Tegan gently by the arms and he held her steady.

Pulling away from him Tegan snapped, "Thanks. You can head back to your _friend_ now."

"Diana is not nor ever will be my friend in that way." John said firmly.

Once again John had read her mind and the thought infuriated Tegan. "Look John I don't know what kind of game you're playing but I donmph…"

Tegan's angry words were cut off as John's mouth descended on hers. Blood boiling for a different reason now, Tegan wound her arms around John's neck and returned the kiss passionately. John's arms went around her and held Tegan tightly against him. Before she was ready John pulled away and said seriously, "I will find you again." Then he was gone.

* * *

Selene had never had sex on a first date but from the way things were escalating that was about to become a reality. She lay within the circle of Wally's arms kissing him as his hands slid up her shirt. After leaving the bar they had taken a cab to his apartment and had quickly gone into his bedroom. Selene bit back a moan as Wally's hands grazed her breasts.

Wally chuckled softly as his mouth drifted down her neck. "Go ahead and be as loud as you want," he teased. "I promise not tell anyone."

"Just…keep…" Selene's voice trailed off as Wally's mouth and hands began to work magic. Just as she reached the edge Wally sat up with a start and snapped, "Oh dammit you have got to be kidding me!"

In a daze Selene realized that Wally had rolled off the bed and slammed his way into the bathroom adjoining his room. Frowning she sat up and adjusted her dress while she listened to Wally's muffled voice through the door. Selene wasn't promiscuous but surely she wasn't that bad that she could drive a man away from her. A moment later Wally walked out of the bathroom with a chagrined expression on his handsome face saying, "I'm sorry Selene…I'm afraid we'll have to cut our date short. There's an emergency with one of my friends."

"I see." Selene said stiffly as she stood up and smoothed her dress down over her hips. "Goodbye Wally."

Without sparing a glance back Selene walked out of the room and the apartment cursing herself for being a fool.

* * *

**dundundun! It seems that there's trouble in paradise as far as Wally and Selene are concerned. And things are starting to heat up with John and Tegan. Will Aaron ever get a woman? Find out in the next chapter of Fates Intertwined.**


	3. The Birthday Disaster

**Hey guys and welcome to Chapter 3 of Fates intertwined! It's a little bit shorter than the first two chapters but my collaborator and I decided that It would be the perfect ending...you'll see ;)**

* * *

Aaron walked up the steps of Selene's house with a heavy heart. He had left the bar and come straight here. A sigh expelled from his lips as he reached out to ring the doorbell.

"It's kind of late to be ringing the doorbell don't you think?" Tegan's voice startled Aaron and he jumped slightly as he turned to look at the girl. She stood at the bottom of the steps with an expression of barely contained pleasure. Instantly reminded that he had failed with both Selene and Wonder Woman that day Aaron wasn't in the mood for Tegan's cat in the cream expression.

As she walked up beside him Aaron replied crossly, "Well seeing as I don't have a key, I don't have any other choice do I?"

"Gee, someone's got their panties in a bunch," Tegan replied teasingly as she crouched and reached her hand into the potted plant beside the door. After a few moments she stood up holding a dirt covered key and said smugly, "Selene told me they keep the extra key here in case they ever forget theirs inside the house."

She passed the key over to Aaron and he unlocked the front door. They stepped inside and to their surprise they found Selene sitting in her living room with a sullen expression on her face as she ate ice cream straight from the carton. She glanced over at them and sighed heavily. "I hope you two had a better evening than I did."

Aaron immediately went to her side and demanded, "Did that Wally guy do something to you? I'll go find him right now and defend your honor!"

Selene snapped, "No he didn't do anything to me! He just wasn't the kind of person I thought he was."

"Calm down Selene, it's a reasonable question seeing as how you and Wally were really into each other at the bar," Tegan said as she took a seat beside her friend. "Seriously though, if he needs his butt kicked Aaron and I can totally do it!"

A small smile flitted across Selene's mouth. "Thanks guys but he's not worth the trouble…How did things go with you two?"

Aaron replied mournfully, "It was a total bust. Not only did you leave with Wally but Diana had to leave soon afterwards…"

Selene patted his arm and both she and Aaron turned to look at Tegan expectantly. The other girl turned red and said quickly, "Oh my turn already?" Tegan paused to clear her throat and looking at the wall she continued, "My evening was uh crappy too." If possible she turned even redder.

With a scowl Selene grabbed the pillow beside her and smacked Tegan with it. "You are an absolutely terrible liar Tegan! It's ok if things went alright for you. Aaron and I won't be angry. Right Aaron?"

Aaron gave a quick nod although in reality he was angry that he had not experienced as good of an evening.

Tegan's face brightened and her eyes seemed to glaze over. "Well my night rocked. John and I had a great time dancing and talking…" her voice trailed off in a romantic sigh before she stated matter-of-factly, "Unfortunately he had to leave too…"

"At the same time as Diana." Aaron added suddenly as he remembered seeing the tall dark man leave the bar minutes after Wonder Woman.

Selene frowned. "What time was that at?"

Tegan and Aaron glanced at each other before responding simultaneously, "20 minutes ago."

Selene's mouth dropped. "That's about the same time as when Wally suddenly had to go. Do you think they had something to do together?"

"Well…" Aaron said slowly. "Diana received what seemed to be a summons for the Justice League. You don't think that…" he stopped speaking, the idea too ludicrous to be spoken aloud.

Tegan giggled. "Tell me you aren't trying to suggest that maybe John and Wally are a part of the Justice League. There's only one black man on that team and it's the Green Lantern. John looks _nothing_ like him. And what about Wally? He's way too…goofy to be a superhero. No offense," she added looking over at Selene.

"None taken," Selene replied as she took another bit of ice cream in her mouth. She hesitated before saying, "I wasn't going to mention this but Wally is pretty fast."

"That's nothing to brag about." Tegan said before dissolving into giggles. Aaron gave an amused smile as Selene rolled her eyes.

"That's not what I meant you pervert. I mean just in regular things. Like the benefit dinner! I fell over and suddenly he was right there catching me."

Tegan frowned. "But that still doesn't mean he could be The Flash."

Selene nodded in agreement. "I know but then explain this to me. When we were looking for Aaron last night The Flash came up to me and asked if I was looking for my lam…er…my date from earlier that evening!"

"I suppose Wally could in some strange and twisted way be The Flash." Tegan said reluctantly. "But that doesn't mean John is super hero." Then her face brightened. "I nearly forgot! He mentioned earlier tonight that he's a police detective! He probably got called in to help out with whatever it is the Justice League got involved in."

Satisfied with the results of their limited sleuthing skills the three friends sat in companionable silence before Tegan's dramatic gasp jolted them. Pointing at the clock on the wall opposite them she cried out, "Is that really the time?"

Cautiously Selene replied, "Yes…it is."

Tegan leapt to her feet and disappeared into the kitchen. Selene and Aaron could hear drawers being moved and rustling noises but neither of them had the desire to move. A few minutes later Tegan reappeared and stopping in front of Selene she grinned and plunked a birthday candle into the melting ice cream. She revealed a matchbox in her other hand and with quick movements the candle was lit.

"Happy Birthday Selene!"

Aaron grinned also and chimed in, "Make a wish before you blow out the candle!"

Closing her eyes Selene thought _I wish…._a smile touched her lips as she leaned forward and blew out the candle.

* * *

To Selene's pleasure her birthday was turning into one to be remembered. Her parents had surprised her with several gifts including a gift card to her favorite store with more than 100 dollars on it. Aaron had given her several movies Selene had mentioned in passing that she enjoyed but didn't have. Tegan's gift was more mysterious. As Selene readied herself for work that morning her friend had stretched out on her bed and asked casually, "Are you feeling lucky Selene?"

Selene raised an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder at Tegan. "Why on earth would you ask that?"

"No reason." Tegan said with a shrug as she sat up on the bed. A mischievous smile touched her lips. "I'll see you once you get off of work ok?"

"Whatever you say Tegan," said Selene as she picked up her purse. Her own mouth twisted upwards in an amused smile. "I'm sure that you and Aaron will have tons of fun while I'm at work." She ducked out of the room laughing just as a pillow sailed towards her.

* * *

The moment Selene shut the front door Tegan leapt off the bed, ran down the stairs and straight to where Aaron sat petting Zack and watching a mundane television show.

"She's gone!" Tegan eagerly announced.

Aaron shut off the television and sighed. "I thought she would never leave. Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Of course," said Tegan as she pulled her cellphone from her back pocket and dialed a number. "This is the first time we celebrate our birthdays together. It deserves to be special…" her gaze shifted away from him and she said politely, "Hello, I would like to confirm a reservation for tonight at 8:30pm…"

* * *

At work things were going smoothly. Selene's coworkers had surprised her with a little cake and given her a gift card for the coffee shop down the street. As she walked down the aisles of the bookstore attending to her duties Selene couldn't help but feel slightly melancholy. After last night it was hard to feel too happy about anything…she sighed and pushed some books back into place. Wally was the first man in a long time that she had allowed herself to be intimate with and it had turned into a disaster. She wanted to feel grateful for seeing his true colors before they had gotten too serious but Selene couldn't feel anything but sadness. She had genuinely liked Wally and she was utterly crushed that he had turned into a fraud.

_ I need to put him out of mind and concentrate on my work _Selene thought as she turned a corner. She stopped short when her eyes caught sight of Wally standing near the entrance of the store. Selene gasped slightly and immediately took a step backwards but it was too late. The redhead spotted her and his green eyes brightened. "There you are!"

Wally walked quickly over to her and reached out his hand to brush some of her hair back. "Hey Selene…is there somewhere we can go to talk privately for a few minutes?"

Selene flinched slightly from his touch and felt almost guilty at the pained look that entered Wally's eyes. Forcing herself to recall the events of the previous evenings Selene mentally steeled herself and said flatly, "I don't think that would be a good idea Wally."

"Please Selene, I want to explain to you about last night," pleaded Wally as his hand took hold of hers.

Trying to ignore the sparks that were flying through her at his touch Selene tugged her hand free and said firmly, "Wally stop it! I'm at work. You need to leave right now."

Realizing that she was serious Wally's shoulders slumped slightly and he said sadly, "If that's what you want. I'll see you around."

Selene waited until the handsome redhead had left the store before saying softly, "Goodbye Wally…"

The hours passed by slowly and Selene felt a throbbing pain in her head. Depressed about the earlier events of the days she wanted nothing more than to go home and relax in her bathtub. As she rubbed her head Selene noticed her manager walking towards her with a large package in his hands. He frowned at her and said sternly, "Selene I want you to go ahead and punch out now."

Selene blinked at him surprise. "Punch out? But I still have forty minutes left!"

The manager shrugged and replied, "It's your birthday, and I'm letting you go early. Oh and this just arrived for you." He pushed the package into Selene's hands and walked off. Headache forgotten Selene looked down at the package and noticed a small note pinned to it.

Opening it she saw written inside: '_You looked cute when you left the house but those work clothes aren't going to cut it for our plans. Change and meet me outside the store in thirty. –Tegan' _

Closer inspection showed that the package was a brown paper bag from a local grocery store that she and her mother shopped at. Intrigued Selene tucked the note into the pocket of her slacks. Quickly she punched out and went into the bathroom. The package turned out to be a pair of strappy heels and a party dress she had bought recently but hadn't had a chance to wear yet. Also inside were a small clutch, a pair of earrings, and a necklace. Changing into the outfit Selene couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror. The dress was form fitting and fell about two or three inches above her knees. The back was sheer lace and with capped lacy sleeves she looked both demure and sexy. Thankfully she always brought makeup with her. Selene pulled it out now from her purse and quickly adjusted what she had on. Pulling out a tiny travel brush she wet it in the sink and slicked her hair back.

A glance at her cellphone showed she had about five minutes before Tegan would arrive. Selene folded up her work clothes and placed them inside the paper bag along with her purse after she had taken out a few essentials to put in the clutch. Finished Selene walked out of the bathroom and grinned at the cat calls from some of her coworkers. Thankful that the bookstore had automatic doors Selene stepped outside and felt her eyes widen as a stretch limo pulled up before the store.

The driver stepped out, rounded the vehicle and stopped next to the back door. He smiled slightly and opened the door. Inside Selene could see Tegan and Aaron. Spotting her Tegan slid out of the car and cried out, "Wow Selene you look gorgeous! Are you ready to go?"

"You look great too Tegan," said Selene casting her friend an admiring glance. The other girl wore a short black dress with one long sheer sleeve. At her waist was a jeweled embellishment and Selene realized that the same sheer fabric from the sleeve overlaid the skirt of the dress making it appear longer than it really was. Aaron stepped out of the car wearing a stylish looking sports blazer and a pair of dark jeans. His shirt was plain but Selene couldn't help but admit that with his hair done and the hint of cologne clinging to him Aaron looked very handsome.

Aaron grinned at Selene as he took the bag of clothes from her and after depositing it into the limo he helped both girls back inside. Once the door was closed he grabbed a bottle of champagne and poured Selene a glass. As he handed it to her he asked teasingly, "Are you enjoying your surprise so far?"

"I am definitely surprised," Selene said as she took a sip from her glass. She hesitated before admitting, "I had a pretty bad day at work and I really thought the rest of the day was going to be a bust. This more than makes up for it! Where are we going?"

A grin splitting her mouth Tegan replied cheerfully, "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if we told you would it?"

* * *

Tegan could not have planned a more perfect night. After picking up Selene from the bookstore they had gone to the Real World Casino and Hotel. Tegan knew from previous conversations with the birthday girl that she loved to hit the slots and what better place to do so than one of the most swanky places in the area? Located on the banks of a river the Casino and Hotel was plush and spoke up luxury. After about three hours of amateur gambling the three friends had gone to dine in one of the casino restaurants called "Benting Palace". The restaurant was luxurious and Tegan had been lucky enough to secure one of the private dining rooms.

As their waiter came to take their empty plates away Tegan said excitedly, "And now it's time for the birthday girl to make a wish!"

Selene giggled and wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin. "Don't you need a birthday cake to make wishes?"

A smug smile covered Aaron's face as the door opened and a waitress came in wheeling a cart filled with cakes and other pastries. "You were saying?"

Each of them picked out a piece of dessert and the waitress went over to Selene and placed a candle in the New York style Cheesecake she had chosen. Once it was lit Selene's eyes slid close. _I wish I could forget about last night and be with Wally again. _She blew out her candle and Tegan asked eagerly, "What did you wish for?"

Rolling her eyes Selene plucked out the candle and replied, "I'm not telling you! Otherwise it won't come true!"

Tegan sighed dramatically and took a bite of the red velvet cheesecake she had selected. "Well it was worth a shot." Her words ended in a moan. "Oh my goodness; you two have GOT to try this cake!"

Aaron shook his head. "I don't think I can. The one I selected is much too good tasting to be sullied by the flavor of another cake."

Tegan narrowed her eyes at his dessert plate and asked suspiciously, "Oh really? What did you choose?"

"A lemon raspberry tart…I don't know if I can ever eat another type of sweet."

As Tegan and Aaron bickered good naturedly over who had the best dessert Selene quietly ate her piece of cheesecake. Despite the shenanigans with Wally earlier in the day she couldn't help but feel happiness. She was thankful to have two friends who cared so much for her. Feeling a sudden rush of emotions Selene stood abruptly. When Tegan and Aaron looked at her in surprise she flushed slightly in embarrassment and said quickly, "I just need to go use the bathroom…are we hitting the slots again?"

Tegan nodded and stood up also. "Yes if you'd like." She shrugged slightly. "In any case we can meet you downstairs."

Selene nodded and left to find the bathroom not realizing that as she left the room she would never make it downstairs.

* * *

Once Selene was gone, Tegan found their server and asked him to bring the check. Once the meal was paid for she and Aaron made their way back down to where the casino was located. In the elevator Tegan looked up curiously at Aaron and asked, "Aaron…do you really like Selene or is this just some sort of childish crush?"

Aaron jerked in surprise and immediately his cheeks flooded with color. "Of course I like Selene! How dare you insinuate otherwise?"

Tegan tipped her head back and laughed. "Don't get your panties in a bunch! I know you like her as a person but do you really like her romantically or what? I wouldn't ask but the way you were throwing yourself at Princess Diana makes me wonder."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable Aaron confessed, "I'm not too sure myself how I feel. When I'm with Selene she's the only girl in my mind but as soon as I see Diana it's as though everything else is nonexistent."

"I dunno Aaron I've seen you with both of them and it seems as though with Selene it's more of a habit to go after her. If you really liked her you wouldn't be interested in any other woman."

Aaron was spared from responding when the elevator suddenly lurched to a stop. Tegan let out a shriek and grabbed onto Aaron's arm with a surprising amount of strength. After a nerve wracking moment it slowly moved until it stopped about four floors above where the casino was. The doors slid open and the friends immediately exited. They were on one of the hotel floors and around them doors were opening as an emergency alarm began to ring.

Concerned hotel guests milled about talking in hushed tones and Tegan whispered to Aaron, "What do you think is going on?"

"I'm sure this is just some sort of fire drill." Aaron said patting the hand Tegan had clinging to his sleeve. The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a large explosion rocked the building. People screamed and dropped to the ground as the ground swayed. When the ground stopped moving there was a moment of silence before the people in the hall panicked and made a mad dash towards the emergency exit.

Aaron yanked Tegan by the arm to the side of the hall to avoid being crushed by the wave of people.

"So much for your fire drill!" Tegan cried out as she narrowly avoided being run over by a large man holding a poodle.

Aaron rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry…It was an understandable mistake." Then a serious look came over his face. "Selene is still upstairs…I'm going to go and find her. You get yourself to safety."

"No way are you getting rid of me that easily Aaron. I'm going with you." Tegan replied. She grabbed him by the hand and tugged him to the stairwell and they began the slow walk back upstairs to where the restaurants were located.

* * *

Meanwhile Selene lay dazed on her side in the hallway outside the bathroom. She had been exiting the room when a large rumbling noise had filled the air around her and the building had begun to sway. Unbalanced by her heels she had toppled over and hit her head against the ground. Vaguely she could hear the screams of those on the same floor as her and blinking she could make out feet rushing by her.

She moaned and struggled to sit up but the panic of those around her was too great and Selene soon found herself alone. Gritting her teeth together Selene forced herself up but the headache that had been bothering her earlier came back in full force and she found herself back on the ground. Darkness tinged her vision and Selene closed her eyes thinking _Just a few minutes of rest and I can keep going…_

* * *

The Royal Flush gang was ransacking the casino downstairs feeling pleased with themselves. King had had Ace, their robotic companion, implant several low level bombs throughout several floors of the Casino/Hotel. With the patrons focusing on escape it was easy to go through the casino and clean up all the valuable items.

King looked smugly at his companions and said, "This was almost TOO easy. I'm sure the Justice Lameos are on their way so let's be quick about things. Jack, Ten I want you two to head up to the upper levels and see if you find anything interesting."

"Whatever you say bossman!" chirped Ten as she jumped onto her flying card. Jack jumped up behind her and looked up at the ceiling. A brilliant yellow beam shot out of his eye and the ceiling exploded.

* * *

"Finally!" Tegan wheezed out as they stepped onto the floor where the restaurant was located. "I thought we would never make it up here. Should we split up to look for her?"

Aaron shook his head. "No, I don't think that would be safe. Come on." They walked slowly through the entrance of the restaurant. Tegan pointed to the sign where the bathrooms were located and their pace quickened. Suddenly the floor in front of them exploded with a beam of yellow. Tegan screamed and fell backwards in shock. The shock immediately turned to fear as the ground gave way and she found herself free falling through the air. With a cry of terror she reached to grab something but snatched only air.

Eyes wide she could see Aaron's legs dangling above her as he clung to the floor. Vaguely she could hear Aaron yelling her name but the only thing the terrified girl could think was _I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die! _Pain exploded in her shoulder as Tegan hit the edge of another floor and her body twisted so that she was facing downwards. The ground rushed up to meet her and Tegan squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly she came to a halt and opening her eyes Tegan's brown ones met the red ones of The Martian Manhunter.

Tegan's mouth opened in a perfect 'o'. The superhero had phased through the floor and had caught her moments before her body would have hit the ground. Took stunned to say anything Tegan could only grip the Martian's forearms as he gently set her down on the ground. He looked down at her and said gravely, "You must leave now before you place yourself in anymore danger."

His words snapped Tegan out of her stupor and with only the slightest tremor in her voice she replied, "Thank you for saving me…." She paused with tears filling her eyes, her hands tightening on his arms almost painfully. Desperately Tegan continued, "Please you have to help my friends! They're still upstairs in the restaurant!"

The Martian Manhunter nodded. "I will do my best." Then he was gone.

* * *

Aaron was still dangling over the hole in the floor. Every time he attempted to move the floor before him creaked horribly. Aaron was sure that he was going to suffer the same terrible fate as Tegan when he felt a hand suddenly gripping the back of his jacket. Eyes wide he looked up to see it was Hawkgirl. She lifted him up easily as though he weighed nothing more than a sack of potatoes. Using her mace she flew them upwards and smashed a hole in the ceiling.

Wincing as bits of the building rained quietly down onto the ground, Hawkgirl set down Aaron outside the building near Tegan before glaring at him. "What are you waiting for!? Get out of he-" Her temporary anger towards the civilian was interrupted as she heard Green Lantern yelling into her com-link.

Hawkgirl's eye twitched. "Would you stop yelling at me, there are civilians here that need to be led out to safety!"

"We could use your help inside the building!" Lantern yelled back not taking any of Hawkgirl's sass.

Annoyed by her team mate's control, she looked towards a Police Officer, "Get these man to safety!" She then flew into the crumbling building with her mace in hand.

Aaron looked worriedly after her. The Justice League made it their business to rescue people in distress; surely one of them would rescue Selene.

* * *

Selene was still trapped inside surrounded by rubble from her favorite restaurant. '_I have to…I have to get out of here…_' She thought to herself. She then heard voices from the rubble crawl space she was lying in. It wasn't the voices of the Justice League; it was the Royal Flush gang. Panic rose in Selene's heart and she knew she had to leave before they found her. But their voices were too close so Selene did the only thing she could do at the moment, play possum.

Jack walked over towards the rubble where Selene was lying in. Spotting a dainty hand Jack removed the rubble that was covering her. Selene held as still as possible as Jack drank in the sight of her

"Too bad, she was a real looker," He said. "It would've been nice to have a little fun on this mission." Jack then heard their leader King yelling.

"The league is on to us!" King told his team mates. "We need to escape now! – Oof!" King was suddenly thrown back against the wall as Flash sped past him.

Before Flash was able to say one of his witty remarks, he saw Selene on lying on the ground. His heart nearly stopped thinking she was probably dead causing Ace to get the upper hand on the speedster making him lose his focus and go sailing into the ground as Jack punched him.

"Nice job Ace." Queen complimented her robotic partner.

"Not so tough are you!" Jack smirked down at the withering speedster. He was suddenly sent sailing into the other members of the Royal Flush Gang as Batman high kicked him and grabbed Wally.

"Pull yourself together, Flash!" Batman spat at him.

"B-But Selene…she's…," Flash groaned as the building began crumbling above them.

Martian Manhunter appeared beside his comrades, dizzily holding his head because of the raging flames in the building. "W-We must evacuate this area now…" He told his comrades nearly passing out.

"J'onn!" Batman quickly grabbed the ill Martian as the Royal Flush Gang used this chance to escape.

"We can't leave without Selene…!" Flash begged the dark knight freeing himself from Batman's grip. He tried running over to help her but a barricade of bricks and rubble came raining down between them.

"Flash! We have to get out now!" Batman ordered holding onto Martian Manhunter who had passed out because of the intense flames. "There's nothing you can do for her!"

Heeding Batman's words, Flash turned away from rescuing Selene and focused on getting himself, Batman and Martian Manhunter out before the building collapsed.

Selene coughed against the smoke and flames and called out weakly for them not to leave her, but the commotion of screaming workers who were still trapped and being aided by the remaining members of the Justice League drowned her voice out. She wiggled out of the rest of the rubble gasping for air. Through watering eyes Selene saw a window and on impulse she staggered over to it. For a moment she hesitated but the creaking of the building as it began to fall jump started her adrenaline. She shoved it open and jumped. For breathless moments Selene sailed through the air before hitting the river. As she sank down into the water she could only pray that she'd survive the experience…

* * *

The fire department and ambulance finally arrived aiding the injured and putting out the remaining flames from the building. Tegan and Aaron frantically searched for their friend amongst the civilians. Tegan saw the Justice League leaving and she ran over to a fire fighter who was aiding one of the workers.

"Is my friend here?!" Tegan asked in desperation showing them a picture of Selene on her phone.  
The firefighter glumly shook their head and went back to aiding the worker that was in need of medical attention.

A mix of anger and sadness welled up inside Tegan. No! She wouldn't give up! For the next 15 mintues she and Aaron looked at every single one of the survivors. Finally, having gone through everyone twice Tegan squeezed her fists tightly as tears formed in her eyes.

"Where is she, Tegan?" Aaron asked curiously. "Where is Selene?"

"Aaron! How stupid are you?!" Tegan spat at the boy, a rage rising up within her. "Haven't you realized that Selene's not here? She was still trapped in the building!"

Tegan and Aaron turned to look at the crumbled remains of the building. After several moments of tense silence the girl breathed angrily, "They lied to us, Aaron...The Justice League will pay for this!"

* * *

**Dundundun! Now that Tegan and Aaron have "lost" their friend what will they do to avenge her? Will Wally ever get over the guilt of leaving Selene behind? Will Selene make her way back to those who love her? Find out in the next chapter of Fate's intertwined!**


	4. The Day of Emotional Encounters Part One

**Welcome to the next chapter of Fate's Intertwined! Read it and leave a review ;)**

* * *

"It was a mistake to put this team together." The masked man snarled into his walkie talkie.  
A distinctly female voice came through and with a laughing tone said, "Jealousy is not becoming on you Jason."

Jason Todd, the Red Hood, scowled and snapped back, "This isn't jealousy Starfire. This is about you and Roy not being available when I need you to be."

There was silence for a moment and Jason's scowl deepened when the voice of his friend Roy Harper crackled from the walkie talkie. "You gave us the day off Jason…now if you don't mind Star and I are gonna get back to our…activities."

Snorting in disgust Jason turned off his walkie talkie and clipped it onto his belt. It would have been more efficient to use a commlink but both Starfire and Roy had complained about not being able to hear his voice due to the mask. Immediately casting his fickle friends from his mind Jason returned to the task at hand. It had recently come to his attention that a local politician, Martin Bassert, had recently begun dabbling in human trafficking. Determined to stop this before the situation worsened Jason was now conducting a preliminary surveillance on a factory owned by the man near the Tipaini River.

Easily the young man made his way up onto the roof of the building and unclipped a small pair of binoculars from his belt as he crouched down to peer over the edge. Pushing the mask up Jason lifted the binoculars to his eyes and murmured, "Alright Bassert, let's see what you're up to." For several moments Jason didn't notice anything unusual-except for the absence of security guards. With a factory of this size it was normal to see some rent-a-cops roaming the premises. Pressing a small button on the side of the binoculars caused them to zoom in more and Jason carefully made another scan.

Just as Jason was putting the binoculars away movement from the river caught his eye. Frowning he put the binoculars to his eyes and focused his gaze on the dark water. To his astonishment large chunks of concrete were slowly floating by. "Where the hell did these come from…?" Going upriver led to New York and while there were several small towns and farms along the way to the best of Jason's knowledge the only way these giant pieces of concrete could have gotten in the river was if one of the factories along the way had been destroyed. A slight frown tipped his lips downward; if he remembered correctly there was also a Casino along the way but odds of the wreckage coming from there were slim to none. Jason's astonishment turned to dismay as he realized with a push of the zoom button that there was a body half on, half off on one of the pieces of concrete.

Springing into action Jason quickly got off the roof and stripping off his jacket, mask, and belt he dove into the murky river water. Thankfully the current wasn't too strong and in several powerful strokes he reached the block of concrete and discovered an unconscious female. With grim determination he slid his arm around the girl and began the slow return to the river's edge. With a grunt Jason pushed the girl onto the shore and dragged himself out. Immediately he moved over her body and leaned over so that his ear was close to her mouth. After a few moments he was satisfied that she was breathing and with a sigh he stood up and walked over to his things. Grabbing the walkie talkie he pressed a button on the side and growled, "There was an expected surprise. Ready the medical bay for when I arrive." Without waiting for a response Jason put back on his clothing, picked up the sodden girl, and made his way back to his vehicle. Martin Bassert would have to wait.

* * *

Tegan felt empty. Several days had passed since the ill-fated birthday dinner and the young woman could hardly believe that her best friend, Selene, was really gone. She and Aaron had left the broken building behind and gone straight to Selene's house where they had had the difficult job of informing Selene's parents what had happened. Grief stricken her parents had thrown the two friends out; blaming Tegan and Aaron for being bad influences.

With nowhere to go Aaron had suggested that the two of them pool their resources together and get a hotel room. Still in shock Tegan had only nodded. Soon after they were in a reasonably priced hotel room with two beds. At the moment Tegan lay on her bed in the generic room alone. Today was Selene's funeral and Aaron had left to attend. Too distraught by her friend's loss Tegan couldn't make herself get up.

The curtains were drawn and in the darkness of the room Tegan stared at the ceiling with a mix of grief and rage. It was only now, days later, that she could fully grasp what had happened. Selene had been in danger and the Justice League, the so called upholders of justice, had failed to save her. Tegan squeezed her eyes shut trying to fight tears. No...that wasn't quite right. _She_ had put her best friend into danger by taking her to that ridiculous casino. There was only one thing she could do. Tegan would have to kill the Justice League...and then kill herself. That was the only way Selene's death could be truly avenged. The tears trickled down her face and Tegan felt overwhelmed. The Justice League was a super powered group and so many others better equipped than she was had failed to take them down. How was she supposed to do anything? As she turned over to bury her face into the pillows Tegan heard a quiet knock on the door.

Tegan's first reaction was to ignore it but when the person on the other side persisted she let out a small groan and rolled out of bed. It was most likely Aaron. He must have forgotten his key to the room. Fresh tears filled her eyes as Tegan thought about how if Selene were there she'd make a snarky comment about their slightly dorky friend. The tears spilled over as Tegan pulled open the hotel room door and came face to face with John.

Surprised Tegan took half a step back. "J-John! What are you doing here?"

"I told you I would find you..." John replied the expression on his handsome face serious. "May I come in?"

Tegan nodded and stepped aside to admit the older man in the room. For a moment she felt self conscious. Her long black hair was a tangled mess and the old pyjamas she wore were less than flattering. Almost immediately she threw the thought aside. Tegan had no business thinking about herself right now. Clearing her throat the young woman repeated her previous question. "What are you doing here John..."

John turned to face her and admitted, "I was worried when I did not see you at the funeral. Is it not the custom to go the burials of close friends?"

"I couldn't go." Tegan replied softly as she shut the door. Looking down she continued in a broken whisper, "How can I go there and face her parents and friends knowing that I...that I'm the one who killed her?"

* * *

The funeral had been lovely Aaron thought as he made his way back to the entrance of the cemetery. Lovely and heartbreaking. Selene had been such a wonderful girl and now her life was done. No more would he see her beautiful face or hear her wonderfully witty comments. Sighing he slid into the taxi cab he had arranged ahead of time to meet him. He wondered if life would ever be the same once he went back home to Canada. It would be hard not to talk to Selene via instant messaging every day. There were moments where he had became so involved in speaking to her online that he would always forget anyone else's presence lurking on his computer screen. Those days were no more, now that Selene was gone. He mentally cursed himself for not taking the chance to ask her out or tell him how he felt about her.

He started at his phone and wondered if Tegan would answer his calls. She had been too distraught to get out of bed that morning and he was starting to get worried about her. He shrugged slightly and dialed Tegan's number anyway. After several rings Aaron was on the verge of hanging up the phone when he heard an irritated groan on the other side.

"T-Tegan is that you?" Aaron asked nervously thinking she might lash out at him again. "You should've come to the funeral..."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Aaron, it was my fault," Tegan told him. "If I hadn't dragged you two to her favorite restaurant and surprised her she wouldn't be dead right now. How could I have gone to her funeral?" Annoyed by her friend's constant babbling of apologies and lame excuses she continued bitterly, "Look just leave me alone ok? I just want to be left alone and not bothered by anyone, including you."

Aaron wearily sighed not saying a word and disconnected the conversation with his friend. It was decided right then and there, he too would avenge Selene's death, and he just had to wait for the right moment and time. A small smile touched his lips. He was very good at waiting.

* * *

At the Watch Tower, the Justice League was contemplating why the Royal Flush Gang attacked the restaurant. For what purpose? Cyborg observed his team mates at the giant computer screen. They were all wondering what the Royal Flush Gang's next move was; all of them except for Wally. Concerned, Cyborg walked over to his once Titan team mate and asked, "So why aren't you there with the others? "

Wally remained silent.

"If your upset about the mission, it happens to all of us," Cyborg told him. "We can't always be there to save everyone..."

"My girlfriend was in that burning building...," Wally finally spoke. "I was right there! I couldn't reach her in time!" He yelled in frustration.

"I know how you feel," Cyborg told him. "I know what it's like losing someone you care about and being helpless." He paused before adding with a serious tone, "But I got over it."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Wally sighed getting up. "I need a break from this hero stuff and go back home." He smiled to himself. It had been a while since he returned to Central City. Some time at home would do him some good. "Tell Bats I'm taking a few days off." He told his comrade walking towards the teleporters that would beam down each member of the league down to Earth.

"Oh no I'm not telling Batman anything," Cyborg scowled lightly. "The last thing I want is him getting on my case for letting you leave."

Wally turned to the human robot. "It's just a couple of days, Vic," He replied. "I'll be back saving your sorry butts in no time!"

Cyborg smiled. "Take care my friend." He said watching Wally dematerialize into tiny fragmented pieces of light as he was beamed down to Earth.

* * *

Selene's eyes slid open and immediately she let out a groan at the bright light shining into her eyes. Immediately she shut her eyes tightly. How on earth could the light be so damn bright? She raised a hand to shield her eyes and slowly tried opening them again. This time she was able to do so with minimal pain. As Selene's eyes adjusted to the light she sat up and realized that she was in a strange looking medical type room. The bed she lay on was narrow and beside her was an IV dripping clear liquid into her body.

Speaking of her body...Selene winced as she saw very visible bruises peppering her arms and legs. And, she noted with a frown, a cast around her lower leg. A rustling noise pulled her attention away from her injury to a doorway where a young man stood scowling at her.

"About time you woke up," he said gruffly walking into the room. He wore a casual black shirt, jeans, and boots. His eyes were a deep green that caused Selene's heart rate to speed up slightly. She had always liked men with colored eyes. Immediately she pushed that thought aside and scooted towards the wall as the man sat down on a chair beside the bed.

Hesitantly Selene asked, "Who are you and where am I?"

"Who I am," he replied coldly, "Is of no concern to you. Currently you are the medic bay of my facilities. I fished you out of the river. Care to share you got there?"

Immediately Selene felt the memories of the chaos at the Casino press down upon her. Struggling to breathe she gripped the bed and fought down a wave of hysteria. All she could feel was the pressure of the river swirling around her and the fear of being trapped in all the rubble.

Alarmed the man reached out and touched her shoulder, "Hey, calm down. You look like you're about of pass out."

"I'm...I'm fine." Selene managed to say. Slowly she regained her control and continued, "I was at the Casino and there was an accident. I think I jumped out the window."

"You think?" The man snorted and leaned back in his chair folding well-muscled arms across his chest. "Listen lady, I've got some good news and I've got some bad news."

Selene bit her bottom lip nervously. "W-what's the good news?"

"The good news is you're alive." replied the man as he reached over to grab a newspaper off a table. Slapping it down onto the bed beside her he continued bluntly, "The bad news is your dead."

Selene felt her heart stop at the headline blazing across the top. _ONE DEAD IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE REAL WORLD CASINO AND HOTEL. _She snatched the newspaper up and immediately began reading the article. _ What should have been a joyous occasion turns to tragedy as Selene Samaras is killed in the devastating attack upon the Real World Casino and Hotel. The 25 year old was celebrating her birthday with close friends Tegan Santiago and Aaron Bergeron. _Selene's eyes darted back and forth hardly believing what she was reading. How could they think she was dead?

"This is ridiculous." Selene said. "How can I be dead if I'm sitting here alive?"

The man shrugged. "It happens. Your body wasn't there at the scene."

Feeling cold Selene lowered the newspaper and looked at him. "How can you be so unfeeling? This is serious! My parents are probably devastated!"

Once again the man shrugged and Selene could feel herself growing irritated. Before she could say something he stood up and pulled out a nondescript black cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "Go ahead and call someone to arrange a place to pick you up." He left the room and Selene clutched the small phone feeling relieved.

Immediately Selene punched the numbers in for her house. The phone rang for several long minutes before going to voicemail. She sighed and hung up, not wanting to leave a message. Selene brightened slightly and punched in the numbers for Tegan's phone. Once more the phone rang for several long minutes and just as Selene was giving up hope a weary sounding Tegan answered the phone.

"Aaron I already told you I want to be alone."

Selene couldn't help but role her eyes. "This isn't Aaron. It's Selene."

There was a long moment of silence before Tegan replied in angry voice, "You sick bastard. I don't know who this is but if you call me again I'm contacting the police!"

"Wait, Tegan it's really me!" Selene cried into the phone.

Tears were evident in Tegan's voice as she replied bitterly, "Selene is dead."

The line disconnected and Selene dropped the phone on her lap a sense of growing desperation filling her heart.

* * *

J'onn sat in the hotel bar nursing a drink. The memory of Tegan's anger was seared into his memory.

_"It _was_ my fault John! Mine and the Justice League!" _

_Not understanding J'onn asked slowly, "How is this the fault of the Justice League? Were they not there assisting people?" _

_Tegan sneered, "Helping everyone but Selene! And they _promised. _He said that he would get Selene out. Some super hero he was..." _

_Unable to help himself J'onn recoiled at her words and visibly flinched. His palms dampened as he thought back to that night several days ago. He had found Tegan and then promised to help her friends...but the flames. The moment he had reentered the building, J'onn had become incapacitated by the fires that were starting to burn through the wreckage. It had been all he could do to find Batman and Wally and after that there was darkness. _

_J'onn forced himself back to the presence and reached out a hand to Tegan. "Tegan forgive me I did not mean to..." Her angry yells cut him off. _

_"Just stop it John! Nothing you can say can change the fact that my best friend is DEAD." Tegan paused her angry tirade to throw the door back open. "Just go...and don't bother contacting me again." _

_"Please Tegan ju-" _

_"GET OUT HERE!" _

J'onn downed the rest of his drink and motioned for the bartender to refill his glass. Tegan was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. While he was not to blame for the death of her friend he could not help but feel guilty. Sighing J'onn took a sip from his refilled glass and contemplated going back upstairs to reason with Tegan but he immediately pushed the idea aside. The best thing to do would be to give her space until she got over her initial anger. In a few days' time J'onn would find her and straighten things out.

* * *

Tegan threw the phone across the room and didn't flinch as it shattered against the wall. Sobbing loudly she curled up into the hotel bed and felt as if a darkness would swallow her up. She had ruined things with John and with Aaron. John had tried to reassure Tegan that she was not to blame for Selene's accident but not wanting to hear it Tegan had thrown him out of the hotel room screaming at him to leave her the hell alone. Moments later Aaron had called and once again Tegan had lashed out against a person she cared about in anger.

She was well and truly alone.

For what seemed like a life time Tegan lay there sinking deeper into the darkness. Just as she could bear it no longer the hotel room door opened and Aaron entered the room. His eyes were averted and he said stiffly, "I'm just here to collect my things then I'll be out of your way."

Tegan slid off of the bed and with a few jerky steps she crossed the room to where Aaron stood and grabbed onto his arm. "Don't leave me alone Aaron." she whispered. "Don't leave me..."

Hesitantly Aaron's arms came around Tegan. He was still feeling slightly hurt after her comments over the phone but he could see how distraught she was and he felt compelled to offer whatever comfort he could. Tegan buried her face against his shoulder and gripped him tightly. Aaron felt a moment of surprise at how nice Tegan felt in his arms. Her warm body was soft and her distinctly feminine scent was pleasant. The surprise turned to shame. Tegan was his friend not someone he could take advantage of. Besides, he was in love with Selene. Thinking about another woman at this time was wrong.

Reluctantly Aaron withdrew his arms from around Tegan and gently he pushed her back. "I, uh, maybe we should get something to eat."

Tegan's eyes met Aaron's and for the briefest of moments something flickered between them. "I don't want any food." She replied severing her gaze from to look at the wall. Hugging her middle Tegan admitted softly, "I just want...I just need to be held."

Their eyes met again and Aaron felt powerless to deny her request. He loosened the tie around his neck and pulled off his suit jacket. With a calm he didn't feel Aaron sat on his bed and patted the spot next to him. "Sit here with me."

Without hesitating Tegan sat on the bed beside Aaron and turned so that her head lay on his shoulder. His arm curled around her and for the first time since Selene's death Tegan felt truly relaxed. They sat this way for an indiscernible amount of time until Tegan turned so that her arm could rest across Aaron's middle. Sleepily she traced random patterns across his chest and shoulder with her fingers. Suddenly Aaron's arm tightened around her and his breath hitched causing Tegan to look up at him. Surprise flitted through her at how close their faces were and the intimacy of their position hit her. Red flooded Tegan's cheeks and she began to pull back. "I think I shoul...shou...oh..." Her words drifted off as Aaron's hand slid up into her hair and pulled her head down so that their lips touched. The kiss was brief and Tegan could almost pretend it didn't happen. _And it shouldn't happen again _Tegan admonished herself as she and Aaron stared at each other. She had enough problems without adding _this _to the mix. But no sooner than the thoughts flitted through her mind Aaron's warm hand cupped her face and they were kissing again.

Tegan closed her eyes and allowed herself to melt into him. She could think and worry about her problems later. For now she would let go.

* * *

Selene was leaning against the wall when the man returned pushing a wheelchair. "Have you arranged a meeting place with anyone?"

For a moment Selene considered telling him the truth but she nixed that idea. She had no desire to stay here any longer than she had to. "Yes," she lied easily. "My parents want me to go straight home."

Instantly the man relaxed and an easy grin spread across his face. "Well that's great. I was worried that I'd get stuck here with you." He pushed the chair over to the bed. "Go ahead and hop on. I'll take you home."

Within 15 minutes Selene found herself in a truck on her way back to her home. To her surprise she realized she was in Gotham and was amazed that she had survived everything that had happened with only a few bruises and a broken leg. The drive to New York took two hours due to heavy traffic and by the time the man turned onto her street Selene was anxious to get out. Pointing out which house was hers Selene felt anxious as she realized all the lights in her house were off. That was strange she thought glancing at the clock in the car. It was around 6pm and usually around this time her mother was home cooking.

"Are you sure they said to meet them here?" the man asked skeptically.

Selene replied sharply, "Yes I'm positive."

He shrugged and turned off the car after pulling into her driveway. He pulled the wheel chair out of the bed of the truck and helped Selene into it. He rolled her up to the door and Selene told him where to find the extra key. He raised an eyebrow. "Pretty obvious hiding spot."

Selene ignored him and took the key from him. She fumbled slightly but managed to unlock the door. As he wheeled her into the house Selene called out, "Mom...Dad! Zack? I'm home!"

Silence.

Giving her a slightly Glare the man stepped way from her chair. "They aren't here are they? It's musty in here as if there hasn't been anyone in a few days."

"I...They're supposed to be here." Selene replied faintly.

The man sighed and said irritably, "Wait here." He walked outside and was gone for ten tense minutes. When he returned his expression was grim.

"I talked to your next door neighbor." he said flatly.

Selene gripped the arms of the wheelchair and struggled not to grab him and demand answers. "What happened? What did they say?"

"Your parents," he began slowly, "are gone. According to your neighbor they've moved on. They couldn't bear to be here without you."

Tears filled Selene's eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks. Tegan...her parents...even Aaron for all she knew. All gone. A sense of loneliness filled her and Selene could only put her head into her hands and cry.

* * *

**Poor Selene, will her friends and family discover she's alive? What will happen now with the friendship between Aaron and Tegan? Will their moments of passion change things or will they be able to move on? And what about J'onn and Wally? Find out in the next chapter of Fate's Intertwined!**


	5. The Day of Emotional Encounters Part Two

**Welcome to the fifth chapter of Fates Intertwined! While I hope you guys enjoy the chapter I'd like to warn you ahead of time that topic of suicide will be a prominent theme. While it was a necessary plot device I'd like to urge any of you who read this that feel like suicide is the answer to please check out the link that I will have in my Author's Bio on my page.**

**Also apologizes for the shortness of the chapter! I write these without a specific page goal in mind because otherwise I'll end up writing crap to just fill in pages. As always enjoy the chapter and please leave a review! They always make my day :)**

* * *

Grodd placed the unconscious female gorilla on the table and with minimal effort strapped her down. Formally a native of Gorilla City Grodd was now an exile living deep within the mountains east of Central City waiting for his moment to strike against his foes. With his advanced levels of telepathy he was able to acquire all he needed to furnish the large cave he had stumbled upon.

The psychic gorilla had come to terms with the fact that his countrymen were all fools. None of them realized the potential in enslaving humanity. None of them except Gigangta. Grodd looked down at the young female gorilla and a pleased smile crossed his lips. She was a much more accomplished and competant assistant than Dr. Sarah Corwin who had failed miserably in his previous attempt to dominate the earth.

Pushing thoughts of his former flame aside Grodd swung over to the other side of the room where a large monitor and server stood. Easily he started the machine up and inputted several strings of code. The machine whirred as the lines connecting it to the table that Giganta lay on pulsated with energy. This was a risky experiment but the young female had been insistent on participating in it.

As streams of energy poured into the ape's body Grodd picked up a lethal looking needle and loped over to the table. Without hesitating he stabbed the needle directly into her sternum and injected a pale green liquid into her body. The effect was instantaneous. Through the electric glow of the table Grodd watched in fascination as the short limbs stretched out and black fur receded to display pale flesh. Giganta's torso lengthed and her chest expanded in a most pleasing manner. Her facial features softened her the dark hair on her head grew and became a color close to red.

The electrical component to the experiment faded and Grodd returned to the computer to shut it down. As he imputed the necessary codes to do so a faint stirring from behind him alerted Grodd that Giganta was awakening. He turned around in time to see her easily breaking the bonds holding her down to the table.

"How are you feeling?" Grodd's voice seemed to echo throughout the cavern and hearing it Giganta turned her face towards him.

She slid off the table and Grodd took her form appreciatively. Placing her hands on her naked hips and drawing up to her full height of over six feet Giganta smiled. "It feels wonderful! I finally feel like myself."

With hesitant steps Giganta moved over to him and leaned over to press a kiss against his face.

Grodd smiled and moved back slightly, "There will be enough time for that later my darling. Let us go to the main room to test your new abilities."

For the next several days Grodd kept his female companion under close observation. He was eager to continue is experimentations. The Justice League needed to be destroyed before he could complete his plan to take over the world. And in order to do so he wished to form a team because he on his own could not take them all down. With his superior intellect Grodd was more than a match for several on the team but he was not vain enough to think he could take down Superman. He was much too powerful. Thankfully Grodd now had Giganta to assist him on that end.

Which only left him with the Martian Manhunter. Grodd hated the Martian for the simple fact that his mental abilities were on par with his own. It had taken much research but Grodd has discovered that the alien was susceptible to fire. An evil grin spread across the Gorila's face as he sat in his lab. Now that he knew the Martian's weakness he had formulated a way to destroy him but for that he needed a new test subject...

* * *

Selene wasn't sure how but less than two hours later she found herself back at the quarters of the man who had finally introduced himself as Jason Todd. The name had sounded familiar but Selene was too emotionally drained to think of anything but her own circumstances. Her parents had most likely returned to Greece where the rest of her extended family resided. The only issue with that lay in the fact that Selene had never been to Greece and she couldn't remember where in the country her family resided. It would take some time before she could track her parents down. Feeling depressed, a sigh slipped from Selene's mouth. Then there was the matter of Tegan. Her friend was clearly heartbroken and the only way she would believe that Selene was really alive was if she saw her in person. But once again Selene was not sure how to orchestrate that. Aft her "death" there was no way her friend would stay in New York. She knew that Tegan lived somewhere in the Midwest, but where exactly was unknown to her.

"Are you done moping?" The male voice broke through Selene's pensive thoughts and she looked up into Jason's face.

She nodded slowly and replied, "I think I am now; I'm just trying to figure out where to go from here."

Jason's mouth tipped downwards in a frown and said, "For now you stay here." he raised a hand as Selene immediately began to protest. "I won't take no for an answer." he continued firmly. "You clearly have nowhere else to go for the moment and I can't leave you out in the streets while you're injured. Once you give me a little information to go off of I'll help you find your family; it'll take awhile though."

"But I can't stay with you here alone!" Selene blurted out. "It wouldn't appear right!"

Immediately Jason let out a laugh. "You don't have to worry about that." he reassured her with a chuckle. "The premises are rather large and I have two friends who live here with me too. Kori and Roy."

Selene folded her arms across her chest and scowled at Jason. "How is staying with three guys any better than staying with only one?"

"Because I am very much a woman." replied a stunning redhead from the doorway of the room Selene and Jason were sitting in. Selene's eyes widened and her cheeks burned red as the scantily clad woman sauntered into the room swaying her hips like the pendulum of a clock. Her eyes were completely green and her deep red hair fell in luxurious waves past her equally luxurious posterior. Her large breasts and slim body were barely covered in what appeared to be an armored purple bathing suit and Selene could barely comprehend how anything stayed covered as the redhead stretched and continued silkily, "It is quite annoying at times to be the only female here. Having you around will be a pleasant change."

Jason sighed wearily, seemingly unaffected by the entrance of the beautiful woman. "Selene meet Koriand'r or Kori for short."

As Selene shook Kori's hand she suddenly realized that the other woman looked familiar. Then it hit her. "You're Starfire!" Selene cried out in surprise. "You were a part of the Teen Titans...I remember seeing you a few times on the TV broadcasts."

A sexy smile spread across the former Titan's lips and she replied huskily, "It is always a pleasure to meet a fan."

Immediately Selene's flooded with color. Was she flirting? Thankfully a laugh from the doorway distracted the former Titan. The trio turned and saw a rather cute looking red headed man leaning against the door frame. He grinned and said, " Leave her alone Kori. You gotta stop turning on the charm like that."

"It is not my fault." replied Kori innocently. "I was merely saying hello."

The man shook his head and pushed himself off the doorway and came over to Selene introducing himself as Roy Harper. Selene shook his hand but couldn't make herself talk. What on earth had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Tegan lay beside Aaron's sleeping form and wasn't sure how she should feel. They had come dangerously close to making love before Aaron had gently put an end to things stating that it wouldn't do for them to take such a tremendous step in their fragile emotional states. She had been angry at first, determined to just forget about everything but what she was feeling in the moment but eventually she had seen the reason in his thoughts and they had fallen asleep.

With a sigh Tegan rolled out of bed and pattered across the room to where her suitcase lay on the floor. Quietly she unzipped her bag, grabbed some clothes and slipped into the bathroom. A little while later as she stood underneath the warm spray of the water Tegan focused her thoughts on Aaron. Those brief moments she had spent in his arms had been a mistake. Pleasant but not something she wished to repeat. Aaron knew how to work a woman's body but nothing could compare to the way that Tegan had felt when she had kissed John. She sighed and turned her face into the water. She had made a colossal mistake in throwing John out of the room. Things between John and her could not continue if Tegan were going to extract her revenge on the Justice League but she could have ended things on a more amicable note.

A frown marred Tegan's face. The Justice League...there had to be some way that she could get at them. As the water poured down her body Tegan realized bleakly that there was nothing she could do. The Justice League was out of her reach and would most likely remain there for an unforeseeable time. A chill spread through Tegan's body as she realized that there was only one way to avenge Selene's death. With a calm she did not feel Tegan shut off the water, dried off, and put on the clothes she had brought into the bathroom with her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but feel that her outfit was slightly ironic. Black sun dress and flats. Perfect for a funeral.

* * *

Aaron woke up with a start. Immediately he reached his hand out and felt for Tegan but to his surprise she was not there. He blinked and sat up wondering where his friend had gotten off to. Aaron's cheeks filled with colour as he remembered the events of a few hours earlier. He had never looked at Tegan as a romantic interest but after those kisses...Aaron sighed and slid of the bed to go use the washroom.

As he padded barefoot across the room Aaron noticed a piece of paper taped to the hotel room door. Frowning he changed directions and was surprised that his name was written across the front of it. Pulling it off the door Aaron unfolded the paper and discovered a short note from Tegan.

_Aaron, _  
_I know sometimes I can be kind of mean to you but I hope you can forgive me. You are one of my good friends and I'm happy I got the chance to see you during this trip. (Even if you did sorta crash the party.) Thank you for everything._

_Tegan_

The frown on Aaron's face deepened. While her short note sounded suspiciously like a goodbye letter, all of Tegan's things were still in the room. Concern for his friend constricted Aaron's chest. Where had she gone?

* * *

Pleased at having a new female friend Kori had helped Selene to the kitchen insisting that she had to try a tamarian dish to celebrate friendship. Nervously Selene watched the other woman add ingredient after ingredient to a mixing bowl and she couldn't help but wonder if she had survived the Casino attack only to die of food poisoning.

Attacking the inside of the bowl with a whisk Kori grinned and asked, "Now that you have been abandoned will you be staying with us permanently?"

The question stung but Selene could see the sincerity on the other girls face so she answered honestly, "I don't think I am. I need to get back to my family...I just don't know how to find them."

Kori sighed slightly and plopped some of the noxious mixture into a bow in front of Selene. "I suppose that is to be expected although it would be nice if you could stay for awhile."

"I...I suppose it would be nice." Selenne replied as she pushed a spoon through the goop in front of her. She looked down at the bowl. New friends were nice but Selene couldn't help but wish her old friends would realize she wasn't dead.

Suddenly a warm body was pressing against Selene and she gasped as Starfire embraced her tightly. Stroking the human girl's back gently Kori said softly, "Your friends will pay for leaving you. I shall punish them with death."

"What!" Selene pushed the woman back and stared up at her in horror. "You can't kill my friends!"

Kori's face twisted in confusion and she asked, "But they disgraced you. Do they not deserve some sort of punishment?"

"Not that kind of punishment!" Selene said sternly. "They're still my family and friends; I don't want to see them get hurt."

"Very well," replied Kori who looked slightly disappointed. "I shall let your 'friends' live for now."

Relieved Selene smiled. "Thank you Kori..." Mentally preparing herself Selene then took a large bite of the Tamaranian dish of friendship.

It tasted just as bad as it looked.

* * *

Tegan walked down the busy New York street and wondered how death would feel. Would it come quickly for her or would the act be drawn out and be painful? Tegan's steps faltered for a moment but she pressed her lips together and moved on resolutely. This was the only way to make things right. Her heart pounding in her chest Tegan summoned a taxicab and as she clambered inside she managed to get out, "To the Brooklyn Bridge please."

The drive seemed short and Tegan was unprepared as the car rolled to a stop near the bridge. Breath catching in her throat Tegan paid the driver and climbed out onto sidewalk. The bridge was enormous; six lanes of traffic held cars desperate to reach the other side. On the pedestrian walkways were what felt like hundreds of people trying to walk without getting run over by the bikers. Steeling her back Tegan pushed one foot in front of the other and soon found herself in the center of one of the walkways. Walking up to the railing Tegan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn't save you Selene. I don't even have a way to get the Justice League back for what they did...but I can at least do this. And maybe soon I can tell you to your face how sorry I am.

Amid a chorus of gasps that turned into screams Tegan ducked beneath the safety railing and jumped.

* * *

"She is broken." Grodd said as he eyed the sodden woman on his table.

Giganta crossed her arms and pouted. "She was the best I could do on such short notice! Besides, won't the serum fix her up?"

Grodd shrugged his shoulders and brushed damp strands of hair off of the forehead of the test subject Giganta had brought him. His female companion had decided that she wished to go to New York to find a test subject declaring that Central City residents were too tame to be considered of any use. Three days after their arrival to this forsaken city Giganta had returned to Grodd's makeshift laboratory carting the half drowned body of a young female. According to the news reports currently playing on TV she had jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge into the frigid waters of the East River below less than an hour ago.

Currently search parties were desperately combing the river searching for the body that wasn't there. Although the young girl had no visibly broken bones Grodd was almost positive that she had serious internal bleeding. A quick scan proved him correct. The serum he had concocted would heal any injuries as it changed the physical makeup up the injected person but Grodd had no way of knowing if this would work. He had changed the formula of the serum after it using it on Giganta to fit into his plans of revenge against the Justice League.

Grodd felt Giganta slip her arm around his shoulders and then her voice cooing in his ear, "C'mon big guy. She's going to die if you don't do it soon and then I'll have to go out and find another person."

"Very well," Grodd said with a shrug. If it did not work he could always replicate the serum and find a more healthy subject. After having Giganta dry the girl Grodd placed straps around the girls body and went to the computer. Giganta watched in fascination as the woman was hit with the electricity and Grodd came over with a needle filled with a liquid similar to what he had used on her. This time however the color was a pale red color instead of green. The needle went easily into her body and after several moments both Giganta and Grodd were blinded by sudden burst of flames rising from her body.

Giganta cried out and took a step backwards, while Grodd remained motionless his lips pressed into a tight line. He had not anticipated this. The flames burned brighter and Grodd shook his head. This time the experiment had been a failure. Grimly he snapped, "Giganta bring the fire extinguisher before this destroys everything."

He moved over to the computer and shut it down but froze as someone behind him said. "That won't be necessary."

Grodd slowly turned around to see a figure amongst the flames sitting up on the table. Giganta stood directly behind clutching the fire extinguisher hard enough to crack the metal cylinder. The flames died down and seemed to melt into the flesh of the naked woman on the table. Her dark eyes met Grodd's and he could almost feel the fire coming from them.

"Who are you...and what the hell did you do to me?"

* * *

Aaron sat in the hotel feeling nothing shock and horror running through his body. He had wandered around looking for Tegan for two or three hours before finally giving up. Returning to the hotel room he had switched on the TV to watch the evening news and had immediately been assaulted with images of a woman jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Several witness had caught the act on video and while the woman's face wasn't visible to the camera Aaron recognized Tegan's long hair and the dress she wore was one she had worn in some pictures she had sent him and Selene several months previously.

Eyes burning Aaron shut off the tv and with an uncharacteristic burst of anger he flung the remote control against the wall.

"First Selene and now Tegan? God..." Aaron slumped over as tears fell from his eyes. Soon however, the tears were replaced by rage. He had already vowed to avenge Selene but now that Tegan had fallen prey to the circumstances he would avenge her also...Aaron growled under his breath, "The Justice League...The Royal Flush Gang...anyone even remotely involved in what happened...All of them will pay!"

* * *

**Three friends separated by unfortunate circumstances will soon have to make decisions that could very will mean the end of everything they know. Will Selene make her way back to the land of the living? Now that Tegan has joined her amongst the ranks of the "dead" what will the young woman do when presented with opportunity to get the revenge she so desperately seeks? And what about Aaron who has now in a short space of time lost two of the people who he holds dear to his heart?**

**Find out in the next chapter of Fates Intertwined!**


	6. The Fire, the Lex, and the Cripple

**Hey guys! Welcome to the next chapter of Fates Intertwined! I appologize for the long delay, I took a break to participate in nanowrimo and to focus on school work. I started working on the chapter a few weeks ago and in the middle of writing I spilled water all over my keyboard and it shorted. So although this chapter was a long time in coming I hope you still enjoy it. Dont't forget to leave a review at the end ;)**

* * *

'_Wally, are you there?' _

Wally West currently lay on the bed in his room. He was completely naked, finding clothes to be pointless when you were in your own home alone. He had been idly stroking a hand up and down his chest when the commlink in his ear suddenly sparked to life. For a moment Wally considered ignoring the soft voice in his ear but it had been two months since the disaster at the Real World Resort and Casino; if he continued with his self imposed exile Batman was sure to come looking for him.

With a sigh Wally touched his hand to his ear and said, "What is it Princess?"

_'Oh thank Hera you answered. Batman already mentioned going to visit you if you didn't.' _Diana replied the relief in her voice evident.

"I'm surprised he hasn't come before." Wally said back as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

He could almost see the smile on Wonder Woman's face as she said lightly, _'Superman talked him out of it.'_ She paused for a moment before continuing seriously, _'Wally, I know that you're still hurting from what happened but we need you. A report just came in that there's something burning up Midway City. I've already informed the others but you're the only one who can get there fast enough to d-' _

Wally cut Diana off. "Do something about it." He sighed once more and stood up stretching out his muscles. "I'll be there in a 'flash'." Wally finished wearily. Within seconds he was dressed in his costume and running out the door to Midway City.

* * *

When Wally reached the outskirts of the city all he could smell was smoke. "Yuck, it smells like a smoker's convention." Racing down the highway into the city the smell of smoke grew stronger and Wally began to encounter terrified civilians running in the opposite direction. The superhero frowned and dodged several of the screaming people before coming to a screeching halt just outside the town center.

A pillar of flames towered several meters over the street and a section of it was protruding, streaming fire at the buildings around it. For a moment Wally was blinded by the brightness of the fire but once his eyesight had adjusted he realized that in the center of the flames was the shape of a body. A scowl creased Wally's face and he planted his hands on his hips. "Hey Hot Stuff!" he yelled out. "Why don't you do both of us a favor and do this the easy way? Cool the flames down and surrender?"

The pillar slowly rotated; seeing him whoever was in the fire threw back their head and laughed.  
Annoyed Wally crossed his arms and snapped, "Hey! What's so funny?"

"You are." Replied the pillar as the flames died down and lowered the person to the ground. The fire melted into the person revealing a woman wearing a skintight golden bodysuit that suited her dark skin. A simple mask covered her face and her dark hair was pulled back in a severe bun. The Flash frowned; there was something very familiar looking about her but he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.

A smile twisted her lips upwards and she said, "I've been looking forward to meeting with you Flash."

Wally narrowed his eyes and replied, "It seems a bit unfair for you to know my name when I don't know yours."

"You already know who I am," the woman said silkily as she sauntered forward to stand before him. "But for now you may call me...Wildfire."

"How original." said Wally flatly.

Wildfire smiled again. "No more original than the Flash." She flicked her wrist outwards and her hand was consumed in fire. "Do you really think you can save all these people?" Wildfire motioned to the civilians who had been foolish enough to stay in the area despite the danger. Without warning fire flew from her hands at a group of women in business suits.

They screamed and Wally immediately sprang into action. Within seconds he had grabbed the women, moved them to a safe spot and returned to his original position in front of Wildfire. To his surprise she didn't seem angry that her attack had failed; instead she looked amused.

"Good job Flash...you were fast enough to save them." Wildfire's face suddenly darkened and she spat out, "But that's not always true is it?"

Before Wally could respond, Wildfire exploded into fire and flames shot out from her body aimed at the rest of the civilians; by the time Wally had moved all of them out of the way Wildfire had disappeared.

* * *

Aaron sat at his computer tapping the keys with a feeling of growing excitement. In the two months since the deaths of Selene and Tegan he had been busy putting his own plan of revenge into action. With his knowledge of technology he had completed several high paying jobs. Whether or not they were legal Aaron did not know, or care. The money that he received from them quickly added up and now he was finally ready to enter phase two of his plan.

Several hours later found Aaron sitting in a rental car in a darkened alleyway. He had decided against returning to his native Canada realizing that he would be able to accomplish more here in the United States. His inner thoughts quieted as movement near the mouth of the alley caught his eye. A suspicious looking man carting a large box darted forward and looked relieved when he saw Aaron exiting his car. The man edged closer and said roughly, "You Vengencemaster45?"

Without speaking Aaron pulled out a large sized backpack and opened it to reveal it was packed to the top with several thousands of dollars. The man licked his lips greedily and reached his hand out. Feeling mildly disgusted Aaron pulled the bag out of reach and said coolly, "Open the box and let me see the contents first." The man scowled but complied and when Aaron was satisfied that the contents were all there he handed the bag over. The man smiled looking every bit the cretin he was and shouldered the bag before disappearing.

Quickly Aaron placed the box in his car and without wasting a minute drove back to the apartment he was renting. Soon those who had wronged him and his friends would wish they had never been alive.

* * *

At the Watch Tower the Justice League had gathered to be briefed on what had happened in Midway City. Wally leaned against the window and finished his brief report by saying, "She called herself Wildfire...There was something really familiar about her. Have we gone up against her in the past?"

Superman rubbed his chin and shook his head, "Her powers seem to be similar to that of Volcana but in all the times that I've encountered her, she's never worn a mask and she isn't afraid to let us know who she is."

"Great," said Hawkgirl with a shake of her head. "A new villain, just what we needed."

Green Lantern raised an eyebrow at her and replied, "I don't see what you're complaining about, don't you enjoy beating these fools up?"

The Flash rolled his eyes and said, "Hey I wasn't finished! She _told_ me that I _knew_who she was!"

"Perhaps it is one of your former paramours who feels spurned." said J'onn quietly. It wasn't a farfetched idea since Wally frequently bragged about his latest conquests.

Offended by J'onn's insinuation Wally snapped, "Well maybe it's one of your paramours J'onn!"

A sudden quiet settled over the group and a strange look came over J'onn's face. He shook his head. "I can assure you...it is not." Without waiting for a reply he turned transparent and disappeared through the floor.  
Wally blinked and looked around to find scowls on the faces of several of the other members. "Hey! He started it!"

Hawkgirl pulled out her mace and slammed it against her hand. "Do you ever think before opening your mouth?" She took a threatening step forward but stopped when Diana placed a hand on her arm. Hawkgirl's scowl deepened as Diana walked over to the speedster and pulled him away from the rest of the group.

"Wally..." Diana started hesitantly. "Have you not kept up with the news during your...vacation?"

Wally shook his head. "Of course not, I was busy doing other things." …_Like grieving over my former girlfriend. _

Looking slightly uncomfortable Diana said, "Shortly after the incident of the Casino a woman committed suicide. The reports confirmed later on that it was Tegan."

For a moment Wally was sure he had heard the wrong thing. Tegan was one of those women who took crap from no one; he couldn't imagine her taking her own life. She'd probably take someone else's life, in a fit of passion, but not her own. He shook his head, "You're joking right? You met Tegan! She's way too uh feisty to do something like that."

Diana shook her head sadly. "It's the truth Wally; Her male friend came forward and identified her. J'onn feels guilt for not being able to stop her."

"Damn it all..." Wally growled as he rubbed a hand over his head. No wonder J'onn had left like that. If someone had something to him about Selene...He sighed. "That's really rough...Has that loser who hung out with them done anything to himself?"

Diana immediately stiffened and firmly said, "He is _not_a loser Wally. But no, I monitor him from time to time and so far he has not done anything to indicate that he would inflict harm to himself or others."

A wry smile touched Wally's lips. "Sounds like someone has a crush."

"I do not have anything of the sort," replied Diana. She gave him an imperious look before turning and walking away.

Despite the grim news he had just received Wally couldn't help but smile at the Princess' reaction. There had been a time where he thought that Diana would come together with Batman but so far nothing of the sort had occurred. Maybe this Andr…er…Aaron guy was the reason.

* * *

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

Jason's voice startled Selene from the book she was reading. It had been two months since the accident and although she had not broken her leg she had suffered a nasty bruise to her fibula. While the pain had finally disappeared after about three weeks Selene could only walk if she used crutches, and only for short distances. As such she had stayed the Jason and his friends.

True to his promise Jason had already located her parents and as soon as Selene could walk more than the length of the room he would take her to them. She wondered if her parents would ever forgive her for faking her 'death' and forcing them to make such drastic changes in their lives. Then a curious question escaped from her mouth as she looked towards Jason, "You've been looking for my parents the entire time, but what about yours?" She questioned. "Aren't they concerned at what you do?"

Jason remained silent for a few moments and said nothing. Worried, Selene turned back to her book and wondered if it was the right question to ask. "It's just that you've been hunting for my parents," Selene told him without facing his direction. "I just thought your parents would be worried about you too."

Carelessly the man shrugged and sad, "If they're worried about me from beyond the grave, I would've been struck by lightning a million times over for all the things that I've done to disappoint them, mostly my mother. I don't care what my old man thinks of me, he was a dead beat anyway."

Selene frowned. "Oh...I'm sorry," She apologized. "I didn't know."

Jason's blue eyes darted at her direction. "Don't apologize," from the tone of his voice it was more like an order than a request. There was a moment of hesitation before he continued, "You're the first person who's asked me about my folks. Not even Roy or Kori bothered to ask."

Selene said teasingly, "Is this the part where we're supposed to get all sentimental with each other and express our feelings to each other like some sort of cheesy romance novel?"

"Pfft, if this was a romance novel, I would've whisked you off to some erotic mansion and forced you to sign a contract making you do everything I said. " Jason snorted.

A smile blossomed on her face as Selene's face as she set aside the book. "So what's the bad news?" she asked. "It's not really a mansion but a cabin?"

Jason, who had been standing at the doorway of her room with one hand behind his back, returned the smile and sauntered up to her bed. "The bad news is Kori made you another thing from Tamaran."

Immediately Selene let out a groan. The Tamaranian woman had been showering Selene with gifts for the past two months from her home planet and the majority of them had been food that was barely edible.

"Please tell me that it's not that friendship dish." Selene said wearily. "She thinks it's my favorite and she's made it several times."

With a chuckle Jason sat down beside her on the bed and replied, "The good news is I think you'll actually like this gift."

He pulled his hand out from behind his back and revealed a necklace featuring a delicate looking flower. "According to Kori this is made from some sort of metal on her planet. She found it while cleaning out her room and thought you might like it." Jason explained.

Selene touched it and said softly, "Wow…it's beautiful." She frowned and continued, "Why didn't she bring it to me herself?"

Immediately Jason's expression became annoyed. "She and Roy took off to go visit some lame hotel in Fiji. She called and asked me to bring it to you."

Unable to help herself Selene laughed at the expression on his face. "Wow Jason, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Jason asked irritably. "I am not jealous of anyone." His scowl deepened and he changed the subject. "Do you need help putting this on?" He lifted the necklace up.

Selene grinned but let the subject. "Sure, it's always hard for me to put the necklace on when the catch is tiny like that." With only slight difficulty Selene maneuvered her body so that she sat facing away from Jason. Her hair had grown in the past two months and now brushed the edges of her shirt collar.

Before Selene could move it aside one of Jason's hands reached up and gently brushed her hair out of the way. His fingers touched the sensitive skin on the back of Selene's neck and immediately a shiver went through her body. Jason's hand stilled and she could hear the confusion in his voice as he asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes." Selene replied huskily trying to ignore the weight of his hand. It felt like forever since her body had been touched by someone else. Instantly Selene wished that she had told Jason no about helping her with the necklace. He had placed the delicate chain around her and as he tried to clasp the ends together the backs of his fingers would brush her neck.

The gentle touches, no matter how accidental felt too good. Without meaning to Selene let out a soft sigh and leaned back against his hands. His hands paused for a moment before continuing with their task. "I give a pretty good massage," Jason murmured in her ear as he finished clasping the necklace and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Selene bit back a moan as Jason applied pressure to her shoulders and began to work his fingers over her muscles. Her body felt like putty in his hands; weightless and pliable. Slowly his hands moved lower working their magic and Selene nearly jumped out of her skin as Jason's fingers skimmed her ribs. This time the moan could not be stopped. It slid out of Selene's mouth as she arched her back and Jason's hands slipped under her shirt.

As Jason's lips touched the side of her neck his cell phone began to buzz. Immediately he cursed and snapped, "Of all the times for them to call in."

Selene sighed and reluctantly pushed his hands out of her shirt. "You should take the call," she said softly.

Jason nodded and with a final heated look he left the room barking orders into his phone. Selene groaned in frustration and flopped back on the bed ignoring the twinge of pain that shot up her leg. She had the worst luck with men. Still feeling the effects of Jason's massage Selene decided to cool down by watching the news. The news was the unsexiest thing that she could think of right now.

Grabbing the remote control off of the nightstand Selene pointed it at the TV mounted on the wall and pressed the on button. She found a local news station and settled back to watch it. To her surprise there was a breaking news story featuring the Flash and a new villain. Frowning Selene turned up the volume and listened as the reported described the apparent powers of this newest foe. The camera zoomed in on the face of the villainous woman just as she smiled and Selene's hand immediately flew up to her mouth as she let out a startled cry.

"TEGAN?"

* * *

Tegan, or Wildfire as she was now called, ripped off her mask as she walked into the hideout. It was itchy but Grodd insisted that she wear it so that people wouldn't recognize her. Not that Wildfire cared if people knew who she was; the only thing she wanted to do was take the Justice League down. The sooner she did so, the better. It had been a bittersweet feeling encountering The Flash earlier.

The fire within her had burned fiercely and Wildfire had itched to touch her hand to the man's chest and allow the angry flames to consume him. Her face darkened. Grodd had said that for now it would better suit their purposes to let the Justice League members live. Her skin began to glow with a barely suppressed rage. Smoke rose in tendrils from her hands while the ground beneath her feet began to sizzle.

Wildfire forced the fire down as fear overcame her. This new ability of hers, to create and manipulate fire, was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. The feeling of ecstasy as the heat built up within her moments before release was something she could easily become addicted to. With a sigh she moved into the room that had been provided for her and stripped out of her uniform. The body suit had not been her idea but once again Grodd had insisted that she wear something flattering. Giganta had agreed and soon Wildfire had found herself wearing the irritating clothing.

Tossing the uniform into a corner, she walked naked out into the hallway and made her way to the showers that were located at the end of the hall. As she walked, Wildfire could hear Grodd greeting someone in room she just about to pass. Pausing, she peered through an opening left by the open door and to her surprise found Lex Luthor shaking hands with the gorilla.

"Looks like you're about to put up quite a show Grodd. Those weapons I saw out front are illegal in 17 different countries."

Grodd smiled pleasantly, "I am merely trying to keep up with the times. Now how can I help an illustrious man such as you?"

The smile on Lex's face did not quite reach his eyes. "I have a proposition for you old friend."

"A proposition? Due tell." Said Grodd.

Lex, who was now seated in a chair across from the Gorilla, placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward slightly. "I am in the middle of a sensitive business deal and the only thing that can stop me is that blasted Superman."

Grodd raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a personal problem to me."

"I'm about to make it very personal," Lex responded with a sneer. "I want you to kill him for me. Of course I will help fund whatever this little venture is that you have going on here as compensation."

Wildfire rolled her eyes at Lex's smug request and grinned slightly as Grodd said coolly, "I have no need of any compensation from you Luthor. As I recall you rejected me outright when I invited you to join me in destroying the Justice League."

"Perhaps I was a bit hasty." Lex conceded. "But now things have changed and I must be rid of Superman before the end of the month. I can't risk this deal going sour."

Grodd stayed silent for several minutes. Just as Luthor was becoming visibly impatient the gorilla let out a deep sigh and said, "Very well, I will aide you in your cause. But make no mistakes Luthor, we do this my way."

Luthor's eyebrows drew downwards in a deep scowl. "And what way is that exactly?"

Swiftly Grodd rose to his feet and replied, "We destroy the entire Justice League, at once. What good is it getting rid of Superman if his fellow heroes will come down and destroy me?" He shook his head. "No, we must kill them all at the same time."

"I supposed you have a point," Lex said. "But you cannot think to destroy the Justice League all on your own."

Grodd snorted. "Of course not you fool. We shall create a group of like minded individuals who sole task is to destroy the Justice League."

"And who shall the leader of this so called group be?" Lex asked suspiciously.

There was silence before Grodd said innocently, "Why the one funding the entire venture."

Lex relaxed. "And who shall we have in this group of ours?"

Sheathing her body in flames Wildfire shoved the door open and snarled, "I will be in this group of yours. I will bring down the Jusice League if it is the last thing I do!"

* * *

Jason heard Selene's cry and immediately hung up with Roy. Going back into the woman's room he found her staring pale faced at the television set clutching her pillow.

"What the hell just happened?" He snapped.

Selene barely spared him a glance. "My…my best friend! She was on the TV just now!"

Jason scowled. "Well good for her. I don't think that's anything to scream about."

"No, you don't understand, she was on the news! She's…" Selene paused to clear her throat. "She's somehow gained powers. She was destroying a city." She pointed to the TV which showed footage of Tegan burning buildings.

The man shrugged slightly, "How can you tell that's even her. The lady is covered in fire."

Selene replied stubbornly, "She's my best friend. I'd recognize her anywhere." With quick movements she moved from the bed to the wheelchair. "I need to go find her and stop whatever it is she's up to."

Jason opened his mouth to protest when his phone began ringing again. Uttering a curse he picked up once more and snapped, "What the hell do you want Roy! I'm busy!"

Roy snapped, "Then maybe you shouldn't have hung up on me in the first place! Look, have you been watching the news? Star wants to go toe to toe with this new Wildfire chick."

Feeling the start of a headache, Jason looked over at Selene whose pale face was focused on the screen. "Why on earth does she want to do that? That's the Justice League problem, not ours."

Jason could almost see his friend shrugging on the other line. "Don't ask me man," said Roy flatly. "Kori's got her own ideas."

"Well you can tell Kori that permission is denied." Jason snapped.

There was a shuffling noise as Roy covered the receiver of the phone and said something that was muffled to Jason's ears. There was a long moment of silence before Roy returned. "Ah…How can I put this delicately…she, ahem, said you can put those permissions of yours in dark sunless place."

The line went dead and Jason felt a surge of anger in his chest.

Some team this had turned out to be.

* * *

**Well I hope you guys enjoyed that latest update! Please leave a review!**


	7. The Day of Encounters

**Welcome to the next chapter of Fate's Intertwined! I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that so many of you are interested in this story. You guys are definitely motivating me to continue with this story! Please enjoy this next chapter**

* * *

Wally leaned against the wall of the Watch Tower and sighed dramatically. "This is BORING. Can't you just use your mind thingy to track her down?"

Looking up from the computer he was typing on, J'onn said patiently, "We must continue doing research to discover a weak point. This Wildfire has already bested Hawkgirl and the one named Starfire in battle…and you of course." This last phrase was uttered with a slight smile.

"Hey there's no need to bring me into this conversation. It's been months!" Wally pouted and zipped over to the computer to peer into the screen. "What have you been able to find out?"

J'onn tapped a few buttons and brought up an image of the fiery villainess. "From the samples we were able to gather after the fight with Hawkgirl, I have been able to determine that her powers are not something she was born with. Although not noticeable, there are certain fluctuations whenever she uses her abilities."

"Which is why we need you to come along with us J'onn." Superman's voice came from behind the two men and they turned to find the man of steel with his arms folded and a serious expression on his face.

Wally grinned and appeared next to him. "Alright; finally, some action! When can we leave?"

* * *

"Excuse me sir, you dropped your wallet." The voice a young woman stopped a man as he strode down the road towards the bank. Wearing a rather large jacket and a hat pulled down low over his face; he stopped and turned around, a congenial smile twisting his lips upwards.

He took the wallet from her and their eyes met a darkness seemed to shine in his. The woman gasped softly and took half a step backwards but it was too late. The man grabbed her by the wrist and said sincerely, "I'm sorry it had to end this way for you." His grip tightened and the woman screamed as hundreds of volts of electricity coursed through his hand and into her body. People around them cried out in fear and in shock as the woman's body shook violently for several moments before falling limply to the ground.

The man regretted that this woman died but how else could he test his new found abilities? And what better way to draw the Justice League's attention? He flung off the jacket and hat revealing a slim metal helmet encasing the top of his head. The Metal swooped downwards over his face holding up a pair of glasses tinted red over his eyes. His arms were covered in the same metal ending as gloves over his fingers. In the center of each palm was a bright red colored disk and now they flashed as he swung around in a full circle, arms spread wide.

"Who wishes to taste the fury of Electro Master now?" the man cried out.

People screamed out and began to run as he began sending out concentrated bolts of energy from his palms. Electro Master felt a surge of power as he killed the people running from him. So this is what it meant to be a villain, if only he had discovered this heady feeling earlier. He moved deeper into the city but stopped when he felt a rush of warmth on his back.

Electro Master twisted to his left and his eyes widened as a huge fireball flew past him. The fireball hit a street bench and as the metal melted and twisted he turned and came face to face with the fiery features of Wildfire. Up close Electro Master could see that there was something oddly familiar about her face but he had no time to contemplate this discovery since her fist found his face.

As he sailed backwards Wildfire's voice called out, "Do you have a death wish? Midway City is _mine_." As she advanced towards Electro Master he suddenly remembered why the name of this town had sounded so familiar. After her first attack on this city, when she had defeated the Flash, Wildfire had returned and demanded that the officials pay her monthly fees to "stay away". The Justice League had sent Hawkgirl to stop her. It had failed.

Clambering to his feet Electro Master grinned. "Well if it isn't the infamous Wildfire; what do you care if I'm here killing people?"

Wildfire gritted her teeth and snapped, "That's none of your concern. Now do the right thing and leave before I'm forced to roast you inside that metal."

"Well it seems that we have a problem then, don't we?" Electro Master said as a sinister expression covered his face. "I have no intention of leaving."

Flames erupting from Wildfire's body were the only warning Electro Master had as the woman began flinging fireball after fireball at him. As she paused Electro Master raised his arm and sent a bolt of energy at the other woman. To his annoyance she easily dodged the attack.

"Is that the best you've got?"

Wildfire's words hung in the air for a moment before the two of them began a ferocious battle. In terms of strength Wildfire could have easily wiped the floor with Electro Master but touching him resulted in electrocution. On and on the battle went until sudden wires wrapped around the two villains, sending them crashing to the ground. Wildfire cracked her head against the ground and cried out in pain. Struggling against her bonds a familiar voice said coldly, "This ends today."

Wildfire raised her head and found herself staring into the stern features of Batman and Wonder Woman. With a sneer she clambered back to her feet and snarled, "Do you really think some ropes are going to stop me?" Before she could make an impressive show of removing the bonds a blast of energy flew by her and Wildfire gasped involuntarily as Batman was hit squarely in the chest.

The Dark Knight let out a grunt as he fell over onto the ground unconscious. Wildfire stumbled to the left as an enraged Wonder Woman flew forward to smash her fist into the face of a now standing Electro Master. Electro Master merely smiled and Wonder Woman's hand passed through air as the villain disappeared. Wildfire broke the bonds off of her body and felt a shiver creep down her spine as Electro Master's laugh echoed throughout the air.

"It's not every day we get to see the Amazonian Princess fail at something as simple as punching someone." Electro Master sneered.

Wildfire and Wonder Woman turned and found the man standing behind them; a smug expression on his face. Flames licked out from Wildfire's hands as she glared at the man. How _dare _he come here and ruin everything she had been working towards? Wonder Woman gripped her lasso and said tightly, "It will give me great pleasure to bring you down."

"Get in line lady." Wildfire snapped. Without waiting for a response she flung her hands out and shot fire at Electro Master. The man dodged them but found his face connecting with Wonder Woman's foot. He flew backwards and was suddenly flung forward, into the ground, as Wildfire appeared behind him and smashed him downwards into the ground. Elctro Master hit the ground with a sickening thud, twitched once, and lay still.

As Wonder Woman knelt over him Wildfire let out a snort of disgust and used her fire to fly upwards. She crashed into something and fell down several feet before stopping herself. Looking up, Wildfire found herself staring into the eyes of The Martian Manhunter. She scowled. "Get out of my way…unless," she paused to smirk. "Unless you want to get burned."

The Martian Manhunter flinched but remained steadily in her path, arms crossed over his chest. "The only one who will be 'burned' is you Wildfire." He reached out and touched two fingers to Wildfire's forehead and, to the woman's surprise, a jolt of longing ran through her. Their eyes met and her face turned red.

Slapping his fingers away she cried out, "What are you trying to do?"

The Martian blinked in surprise. Throughout the battle below he had been trying to read the mind of the villainess before him but something blocked his way. Figuring that he could do so through touch he had stopped her and touched her forehead but still he could not get a clear reading. Instead, he had felt a desire to touch more of her. His hand fell to his side and he watched silently as she flew off.

* * *

In the four months since Selene had discovered that Tegan had become a villainess, much had changed. Her leg healed, she had reconnected with her parents, and she had chosen to stay with the Outlaws. Her parents had protested but Selene couldn't leave her new friends when they were the only people she knew who could help Tegan. Standing in the training room, strapping on some knee pads, Selene's thoughts turned to Wally. A sad frown touched her face. Once she had found her parents, Selene had tried to track down the handsome man. She had finally found his facebook page only to discover his status as "in a relationship".

"Friend Selene, are you ready to train now?" Kori's voice pulled Selene from her thoughts and she looked up to see the Tamaranian woman tapping her foot impatiently.

Selene smiled and said, "I'm ready; don't forget that I'm learning. Last time you almost broke my leg again."

Kori looked chagrinned for a moment. "I am truly sorry. I will do my best to not break any limbs this time."

For the next thirty minutes the two women sparred. While Selene wasn't a natural, the skills she was picking up were enabling her to hold her own against the more experience trio. Earlier in the week she had finally beat Roy in a match. As Starfire easily knocked her to the ground, Selene had to admit that she still had a long way to go. The two women went at each other for several more rounds before Jason appeared in the door.

"Kori, Roy needs your help with some data he picked up on his mission. He's in the control room."

Starfire nodded and hugged Selene goodbye before floating out of the room. Jason waited a few moments before closing the door behind her and locking it. Without any hesitation he strode across the room, pulled Selene into his arms and kissed her deeply. Selene wound her arms around Jason's neck and kissed him back eagerly.

That's another reason she didn't leave the outlaws.

* * *

Wildfire stormed into the hideout feeling furious about her encounter with the Electric Idiot and Martian Manhunter. Her lips twisted into a snarl and she headed towards the training room. Maybe destroying some of the training equipment would make her feel better. No sooner had she walked through the door than the intercom beside it buzzed to life.

"_How nice of you to join us Wildfire. Come to the conference room immediately." _Grodd's voice sounded amused and Wildfire could feel her skin begin to heat.

She pressed the button beside the speaker and replied flatly, "On my way."

Within five minutes Wildfire was standing at the entrance of the conference room. Inside, at a long table, sat Grodd along with Luthor, Sinestro, and Giganta. Spotting her Grodd gave his usual smirk. "Well, her she is at last. Sit Wildfire and tell us of this one called Electro Master."

Seating herself beside Sinestro, Wildfire gave a quick rundown of what she had learned of the other villain. A scowl twisted her features and she finished, "I sincerely hope you aren't thinking of inviting this cretin to join us in our endeavor."

Luthor shrugged a shoulder. "I see no reason not to. The Justice League has already fought every one of us; together will take them down but it would do us well to have a wild card."

The others nodded in agreement and it was all Wildfire could do not to burst into a ball of flames. Forcing the fire within her down she nodded and said stiffly, "Very well. Giganta and I will take care of bringing him here." She stood up and walked over to the door but paused. Touching a slim metal ring around her neck Wildfire added, "Also, the test was a success. The Martian was there and unable to access my mind."

Grodd nodded, his lips once more curving into that familiar smirk. "Good. This shall be a battle that will be spoken of through the ages."

* * *

Aaron awoke with a killer headache. Rubbing his head, the young man groaned but then started in surprise at the cool feeling of metal pressing down on him. Blinking his eyes Aaron was surprised by the tint of red covering everything. He struggled to his feet-he had been laying down on a narrow cot- and stumbled around the small room before realizing in shock that he was in jail cell.

Shocked by this realization Aaron stepped backwards and felt something press against his hip. Turning he saw it was the sink with a mirror just above it. Looking into the mirror a slither of fear went down his spine. His arms and part of his face were encased in metal. Blinking his eyes Aaron tried to remember how he had come to be wearing such a thing but his mind drew blanks. The last thing he remembered was being in the makeshift lab he had set up in his rented apartment.

Grasping the metal on one arm, Aaron gave a sharp yank but the metal did not budge. His heart began to race. What had happened? How did he end up here? Why couldn't he get the metal off? The anxiety overwhelmed him, and Aaron found himself slumped half on the bed. As he began to calm down he heard an explosion and several screams. The small jail cell began to fill with smoke and Aaron watched in fear as several prison guards ran by on fire.

Suddenly a distinctly feminine figure appeared before his cell and Aaron watched in astonishment as she grasped the bars of his cell and ripped them off. The woman had pale skin and wore a too short dress. Seeing Aaron she smiled seductively, "Come on out this way Hun, we've got work to do."

Aaron licked his dry lips and replied hoarsely, "Why…why should I go with you?"

"Because if you don't," said a familiar voice from behind the woman. "We'll kill you."

Aaron's eyes bulged as the infamous Wildfire stepped forward. Black touched the edges of his vision and Aaron fell backwards in a faint.

Wildfire and Giganta stared at the unconscious body on the bed not quite sure what was going on. Giganta shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to carry him." She walked forward but fell on her butt as the Electro Master suddenly came to life and jumped to his feet. Looking at Wildfire he grinned evilly.

"Well, to think we should meet again in this way. What a delightful surprise."

Wildfire narrowed her eyes and said, "Yeah, it's my pleasure I'm sure. Giganta get up and let's get out of here."

Giganta nodded and stood up with a glare directed towards Electro Master. She easily busted down the wall of the cell and the three villains escaped.

* * *

"No. Absolutely not." Jason stood with his arms crossed in front of the door but Selene ignored him and continued to lace up her shoes.

Finishing the task the young woman stretched her arms out and said, "I'm not asking for your permission Jason; I'm _telling _you what it is I'm going to do. Only as a courtesy."

The look in Jason's eyes hardened and he growled, "If you do this you're going to end up getting killed."

Selene jumped to her feet and walked over to the dresser in her room where she snatched a brushed up and began to pull it through her hair. She hadn't cut her hair in months and it was now long enough to pull back into a pony tail. She didn't reply until her hair was securely tied up. "I'm happy you like me enough to be concerned but this has always been the plan."

Jason threw his arms up in frustration. "Yes, the plan for a few months from now! You still don't have enough training!"

"Jason, I can't sit here twiddling my fingers. She just broke another villain out of jail. I need to find her. Tegan needs me." Selene paused, a look of fear crossing her face. "She's going to get herself killed; I need to find her and stop her."

There was silence as the two of them stared at each other, neither one backing down. Finally there was barely perceptible slump of Jason's shoulders. "Fine. Are you positive that Starfire is going to help you?"

Selene smiled and walked over to him. "I'm positive. Kori agreed to help me and she'll keep me safe from any trouble that might come up." She finished the statement by sliding her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his chest.

"Everything will be just fine."

* * *

The next morning Wildfire landed in front of the steps of Midway City's City Hall. While it would have been easier to have the city council wire the funds into an isolated bank account, Wildfire relished the look of fear on the Mayor's face whenever he handed over the money. A chuckle slipped through her lips as people on the stairs recognized her and scrambled away. People were so predictable and stupid. Her hand touched the door and it wasn't until she saw the blue sky in her eyes that Wildfire realized she had been hit.

She smashed into a fire hydrant several feet and away and sputtered as water filled her mouth. Furiously Wildfire leapt to her feet and found herself facing the Tamaranian woman named Starfire.

Starfire's eyes were glowing angrily and Wildfire's hands itched to scratch them out. Instead she stepped out of the spray of water, burst into flames and growled, "You want a second beating? All you had to do was ask."

With twin cries of rage the two women flew at each other and began to fight. To anyone watching below it was a spectacular battle. Flames arched through the sky colliding with Starbolts creating faux fireworks. Wildfire began to get the upper hand but her eyes caught sight of something that chilled her to the bones. Standing near there, just in front of a crowd of spectators, was a familiar looking woman. The blood rushed to Wildfire's head and there was a ringing in her ears.

"S…Selene?" she croaked out. So focused on the woman was she that Wildfire did not notice when Starfire came up behind her and delivered a mighty blow to her head.

Wildfire dropped like a rock, looking every bit, like a downed fighter jet, with streams of fire flowing out of her. She hit the ground with a thundering smack, creating a crater, and the crowd cried out in surprise. Smoke drifted upwards from a crater and Starfire landed before it with a smug expression on her face.

The smoke cleared and slowly, Wildfire lifted herself up out of the hole. The crowd trembled and staggered backwards but Wildfire had eyes for only one person. The woman who didn't move. She stood there and their eyes met. Wildfire felt a tidal wave of guilt wash over her and tore her gaze away. Turning to face Starfire she croaked out, "Y…you win today." Without waiting she took to the air and flew off.

* * *

Unknown to Wildfire, about 5 miles behind her and on the road, followed a car. Selene sat in the driver's seat and occasionally she would glance at the GPS mounted on the dashboard. During the fight with Wildfire, Starfire had planted a tiny tracking device on the other woman. Selene followed the signal now in hopes that she could corner her friend alone. Her stomach clenched as she thought of that heart wrenching moment when the two girl's eyes had met.

Nervously she licked her lips and pressed her foot down on the gas. Selene would do whatever she could to save her friend. The hours slipped by and suddenly Selene noticed a large structure up ahead. Quickly she pulled off the road and drove carefully into the trees to hide her car. Removing the GPS Selene slid out of the car and continued the rest of the way on foot.

Within thirty minutes she stood in a grove of trees near the entrance. She wanted to get closer but Selene could see a camera that scanned the area. She would have to come back later when it was darker to search for a way into the building. She made her way back to her car not noticing the flash of red and yellow movement to her left.

* * *

**Drama! So now that Tegan knows that Selene is alive what will she do? And what the heck did Aaron do to himself? Will Wally and Selene ever reconnect? How about Tegan and John?**


	8. The Day Their Bodies Said Yes

**Hi guys and welcome to the special **_**Valentine's Day**_** edition of Fates Intertwined! It's been pretty serious lately for the past few chapters but let's not forget that this story has some romance in it… ;)**

* * *

Tegan hated Valentine's Day. It was a purposeless holiday, in her opinion, since you should spend all year showing those you loved how you felt. Now that she was Wildfire the hatred towards the holiday had increased tenfold. _But_, she thought with a grin, _now I can do something about it_. Currently the villainous woman flew towards one of the major cities in the area. After the events earlier in the day, with the surprise Selene sighting, Wildfire was in need of pick me up. So she had left the base through a back door and taken flight. It was February 14th and near 7pm; all the little sweethearts would be out in full force and Wildfire was eager to give them _her_ Valentine's Day present. A night in flames.

As she neared the city, she spotted a plush looking hotel. Slowing down, Wildfire changed course and flew down towards it. She landed in the shadows to the right of the building and sneered as she peeked around the corner she saw all the couples milling about; walking in and out of what was clearly a restaurant. With a chuckle Wildfire allowed her hands to burst into flames. She took one step around the corner but stopped dead, the flames sputtering and dying out.

Walking towards the restaurant was a handsome man wearing a tapered suit. On his arm was a pretty woman and Wildfire could feel the blood rushing to her head.

_John…_

* * *

J'onn walked towards the restaurant feeling every bit a fool. He had had no desire to spend the evening out but both Clark and Wally had insisted that he leave the Watch Tower and spend some time doing something "fun". He had gone to his apartment in the city deciding that it would be a good chance to read some books he had bought months ago when one of his buddies from the precinct had called him up, desperate to find a date for his visiting sister. Reluctantly J'onn had agreed to help his friend out.

The girl, Claire, was pretty and friendly but J'onn could not bring himself to look at another woman in romantic light. The Martian still grieved for Tegan and what could have been. He suspected it would be a long time before he could look at a woman and thing romantic thoughts. J'onn sighed softly to himself and guided his date for the evening to the restaurant door when a flare of light touched his peripheral vision. He turned to see what the cause was but saw nothing.

Fifteen minutes, J'onn and his date were seated at a semi private table near the floor-to-floor windows that gave view to the interior of the restaurant. As the evening progressed, J'onn felt as though something were watching him. He would glance out the window casually, but could see no one peering at him. Once or twice he thought he caught sight of a flame but almost instantly it would be gone. J'onn attempted to concentrate on his date but once the evening winded down he felt nothing but relief.

Using his unmarked police car, given to J'onn for use by the police department, he drove Claire to her brother's apartment complex. Since it was late, J'onn parked the car and then walked Claire to her floor. Leaving the building a few moments later J'onn rubbed a hand over his head eager to return to the privacy of his apartment so he could drop the disguise and relax. So caught up in his thoughts, J'onn didn't notice the woman leaning against his car until she said in a low voice, "Did you have fun on your date John?"

J'onn froze in mid step as he recognized Wildfire. How she knew his name he didn't know but J'onn was positive that she had been watching him and Claire on their outing. His hands closed into tight fists, and he cursed himself for allowing such a dangerous person to follow him towards an innocent woman's house. He didn't dare transform, who knows what could happen to Claire in the future if Wildfire thought she was his paramour. As the villainess' hands lit up in flames, J'onn broke out into a nervous sweat but forced himself to stay calm. "There is nothing for you here. Leave me be."

Wildfire straightened and took a step towards him. "You see that's where you're wrong Detective." The flames flared as her lips twisted into a scowl. "Did you kiss her?" she asked abruptly. The air around them began to warm.

"That is none of your concern." J'onn replied feeling surprised that she would even care about such a thing. He took a step backwards and felt faint as fire began to curl around her arms. The fire increased and the air around them filled with smoke that rose up from the ground where she stood. Paralyzed by the sight of the flames J'onn remained frozen as Wildfire closed the distance between them.

"So you did kiss her," she hissed. Her eyes burned brightly through her mask and the Martian felt dizzy. _With fear of the flames _he said to himself sternly. Her hand touched his chest and heat radiated through his body. _Not,_ he thought faintly, _with anything else…_ Wildfire ran the hand upwards until it curled around his neck. "One good thing about fire," she said softly, "is that it cleanses."

Wildfire pulled J'onn's head down and pressed burning lips against his.

* * *

Selene walked back to the car making sure to keep an eye out for any body guards. Her back pocket vibrated and she slid her phone out and glanced at the screen. A text from Jason. A smile softened Selene's face as she sent him a quick text back. The smile turned into a soft cry of dismay as she caught sight of the date on her phone. How on earth could she have forgotten it was Valentine's Day? With a groan she pocketed her phone and wondered if that was one of the reasons Jason had been so reluctant to allow her to go on this mission.

Immediately she shook the thought from her mind. Jason wasn't the type of guy to be into a sappy holiday such as this. A smiling redhead came to Selene's mind and she felt guilty. Wally was exactly the type of guy to take part in all the trappings of Valentine's day. Selene hardly noticed that she had stopped walking and that her eyes had closed. She could almost see the romantic restaurant he would take her too. The impractical, but beautiful, romantic gift he would press into her hands. The way his strong arms would wrap around her just inside her door; his mouth moving over hers passionately.

The sensation of being kissed by Wally felt so real that Selene let out a soft moan. It wasn't until arms tightened around her waist that she realized the kiss was a very real thing and that someone had her in their grasp. With a muffled gasp she stamped her foot down; as the person dropped their arms and let out a yelp, Selene swung her arm and punched them hard across the face. Scrubbing a hand hard across her mouth she stumbled backwards and then felt her stomach drop at the sight before her.

Mask askew, wearing a very believable Flash costume, Wally West stood with a hand on his reddened cheek. "What the hell was that for?"

Despite the fact that his face stung like a bitch, Wally could only stare at Selene. He hadn't noticed there was another person in the area until he heard a soft, distressed cry. He had been on his way to search for an entrance into Wildfire's hideout but decided to check out the noise. To his shock he had found Selene, his supposedly dead girlfriend, with her eyes closed and a dreamy expression her face. The joy of seeing her there had overcome the shock and Wally had acted on his first impulse.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

At first she had been soft, and for a moment, had kissed him back. The moan Selene had let out had nearly undone Wally and he had pulled her tighter against him. Apparently she hadn't liked that, he thought rubbing his cheek ruefully. She sure packed hell of a wallop for a dead person.

She stood now staring at him in apparent shock. Her mouth opened and closed and Wally couldn't help but feel amused. Propping his hands on his hips he said cheekily, "Did my kiss really render you speechless? Guess I'm not as out of practice as I thought."

Finally Selene asked faintly, "Wally? What…what are you doing here dressed like the Flash?"

The questioned drained all the blood from Wally's face as he realized his face was partially exposed. Immediately he straightened the mask and hoping to put her off he replied in a deep voice, "Young woman, don't you realize that it's dangerous in these parts of the woods? Allow me to escort you to safety."

"Escort me to…" Selene repeated before shaking her head. Her features twisted into an incredulous expression. "You mean the entire time you were the Flash? Why wouldn't you tell me that?" Her eyes took on a bright sheen as she continued in a broken whisper, "You were a superhero but you didn't save me that night…And now everything's gone wrong."

Wally started to respond but she held up a hand. "No," Selene said firmly. "I don't want to hear any of your excuses. You didn't help me then and I don't want your help now…if you're here then that can only mean one thing. I won't allow you to hurt me again!" Without sparing a glance she took off at a rapid speed past him.

Shoulder's drooping, Wally could only watch in agony as the woman he had thought lost to him forever disappeared from view.

* * *

It was a lonely Valentine's Day, Aaron thought as he polished one of his metal sleeves. Currently he sat in the training room of Grodd's hideout. He had a dim recollection of arriving and meeting the Gorilla but whatever the metal had done to him still made his mind fuzzy. A smile touched his lips. But at least he was well on his way to accomplishing his goals. If only he could learn to control this new change in him then he could avenge both Selene and Tegan.

The smile turned mournful as Aaron brought a vision of Selene to his mind. He had had plans for this Valentine's Day with her. Just before leaving to meet her and Tegan for that fateful birthday weekend he had made reservations at an extremely expensive and luxurious restaurant in the city. Aaron had been confident then that he would win over the lovely young woman's love. Anger began to boil within him and black once again touched his vision. For a moment Aaron was afraid but he shook the fear aside. He needed to embrace this new part of him instead of fearing it. Perhaps that was the key to control.

He fell backwards and hit his head against the wall. Several moments later Electro Master sat up and rubbed the back of his head, cursing his weak body. There had to be some way to keep control of this body without reverting every so often into that weak and simpering fool. Electro Master straightened in his seat with a scowl. Who cared about such a petty thing like revenge when he possessed the power to take over the world? Suddenly he became aware of someone watching him. Turning slowly he found Giganta standing in the door way.

Now this, he thought with an appreciative look, was a real woman. Giganta was tall with a full figure. While Well aware of Giganta's origins Electro Master didn't care. She was the complete opposite of Selene with her mischievous eyes and long red hair. She would make an ideal mistress when he accomplished his goal of world domination. With a curve of his lip he asked, "See something you like?"

It was gratifying to see the woman flush. She played it off with a smile and said, "Just checking to see if you were settling in alright."

Electro Master nodded and went back to polishing his metal. "Yes, I have become situated."

There was silence for a moment before Giganta walked over to him and sat down beside him. Taking the rag from him she said softly, "Here, let me help with that." Dipping the cloth into the polish Giganta began moving it in a circular pattern on his shoulder. It felt strange to have someone doing this for him but Electro Master decided it wasn't a bad sensation. His metal had been infused with electronic nerve endings and the feel of a beautiful woman rubbing him felt nice.

Now if only he could quiet the screams in the back of his mind…

* * *

Wildfire allowed the fire to die down as she kissed John hard on the mouth. She wasn't trying to hurt him; she just wanted to brand him. Make him understand who he really belonged to. After several stunned moments his hands landed on her waist and she prepared for him to push her away from him. Instead John's fingers dug in and pulled Wildfire tightly against him. _So this is what victory tastes like_ she thought headily. Her arms wrapped his neck and she deepened the kiss. One of them groaned and vaguely she became aware of him pushing her back.

The car touched her from behind and Wildfire allowed John to press her against the vehicle. They kissed each other with a growing sense of urgency and dimly she felt his hands on her head pulling her hair out of the tight bun. One of his hands sank into her hair and pulled her head back exposing her neck to his mouth. Wildfire's back arched and her hands fell to his shoulders, gripping them tightly as John's mouth touched the hollow of her throat.

"Tegan…" his breath feathered across her sensitive skin and Wildfire could almost believe that they were together in a normal sense. As his mouth made its way up her neck, the fabric beneath her hands seemed to change. Wildfire's hands moved downward, and her eyes popped open as she touched bare skin. Her body instantly erupted into flames as she lost control of her fire.

She tried to force the fire back down but it was too late. John, or rather The Martian Manhunter as he had revealed himself to be in the throes of passion, sprang back with a strangled cry, in an attempt to escape the flames. Wildfire felt the heat of the fire building within but could nothing as it spilled out and scorched the area around her. She reached out a hand but he shirked away from her. _I disgust him_ she realized dizzily. The fear and loathing on his face was plain to see. _John…The Martian Manhunter…whoever he is will never want me. No one ever will._

Shame and horror propelled her up into the sky and she fled.

* * *

Selene drove back towards the Outlaws' hideout feeling nothing but shock. A long time ago Tegan had laughing suggested that maybe Wally was the Flash but both girls had immediately dismissed that notion. But it was true Selene thought to herself. _Wally is the Flash…and now that Tegan's a villain..._she shivered at the implications. She needed to get to Tegan as quickly as possible but there was no way she could return back there while Wally was still in the area.

She closed her eyes tightly for a moment trying to banish the feel of his lips on her. She was with Jason now. Whatever she had felt for Wally lay strictly in the past. There was no reason for body to get fired up thinking of his hands on her skin, the feel of his body against hers…a horn blaring jerked her out of her stupor and she yanked the steering wheel to narrowly avoid hitting another car head on. Her face turned bright red. The sooner she got back to Jason the better.

By the time she had returned to the base, the sun had long since disappeared. It was quiet and Selene thought no one was there until she heard a throaty laughing drifting out of Roy's room. She shook her head; they really needed to remember that other people were living here. Selene walked into her room and stopped short at the sight of Jason asleep on her bed. One arm was flung over his face and a book lay on his chest. A smile bloomed on her face. This is who she wanted. She dropped her bag on the floor and quickly stripped off her clothes leaving only her underwear.

With an easy movement Selene freed her hair from its confining ponytail. She padded across the floor and gently removed the book from its place before sliding her body over his. Once situated she leaned down and placed soft kisses against his jaw.

Jason's eyes fluttered opened and with sleepy content he said, "Well this is a nice way to wake up."

Selene smiled and captured his ear. She gave it a nibble as her hand slid beneath his shirt to rub the hard planes of his chest. Jason shifted so that she was underneath and wasted no time in a devouring her mouth. Their limbs twined together and soon Selene found herself experiencing the most exquisite pleasure. Lights seemed to explode behind her eyes as she rode the wave of pleasure high above the earth. As she came crashing back down Selene bit down on her lip to keep from crying out a name.

_Wally._

* * *

Aaron wasn't sure what woke him up first. The heavy weight of someone's body pressed against his or the sound of door slamming and the sudden wave of heat that filled the room for a split second. Gingerly he moved to face who was on top of him and was shocked to find a very naked Giganta sprawled beside him, one arm lying heavily upon his chest. How had THIS happened? He lifted the blanket and felt his face heating up at the fact that he was also naked.

The last thing he had remembered was…he couldn't remember. He cursed silently to himself but had no time to think as Giganta shifted and opened her eyes. Her hand drifted down his chest and she asked coyly, "Ready for round three?"

The protest that arose from him died a swift death as her hand touched him intimately. Aaron closed his eyes and gave into the kiss that she bestowed upon his lips. He felt as if he were drowning. His life was spinning wildly out of control and there was nothing he could to do to stop it. Aaron found his hands stroking Giganta's soft flesh and he elated at the way she moved and cried out for him.

Perhaps losing control was exactly what he need.

* * *

Wally stumbled into his room at the Watch Tower and collapsed face first on his bed. The entire situation felt unreal. How could Selene have been alive this entire time? How had he not known? He groaned in frustration before zipping out of the room towards the well stocked kitchen. A sandwich would go a long ways towards to alleviating some of his stress. The speedster froze in his tracks a groan drifted out from J'onn's room.

Immediately he did an about face and zoomed to his friend's room. He rapped his knuckles against the door. "Yo J'onn are you ok in there?"

There was no reply and Wally shrugged thinking he had been mistaken. Then there was a muffled groan and J'onn replied faintly. "I am fine…please do not worry about me."

"Hey, you don't sound so good. Open the door." Wally said in concern.

His only answer was another groan. When it became apparent the Martian was not going to open the door, Wally made an executive decision and used his abilities to pass through the solid metal door and into J'onn's room. He gasped as he saw his friend half sitting, half lying on his bed, and the skin on his chest and some parts of his face clearly burned. He was beside the bed in an instant. "J'onn what the hell happened to you!" he paused to slide an arm around his friend's shoulder and help him back against the pillows. "Why aren't you in the sick bay? These burns look terrible."

J'onn looked away and replied in a voice laced with pain, "It is…not so bad as it looks."

"No," said Wally firmly. "It's just as bad as it looks." He blurred for a moment and suddenly there was plethora of bandages and antibiotic creams on the night table beside the bed. He quickly uncapped one of creams, slathered some on his hand and began to rub onto the burned areas of his friend's body.

The Martian hissed in pain but stayed still and allowed his friend to work on his wounds. "I will be fine in a day or two."

Wally scooped more antibiotic onto his hand and moved to J'onn's other shoulder. As gently as possibly he rubbed the cream on. "I don't know dude," he said shaking his head. "These look pretty bad. I'd say you'll need a week tops to heal up…What happened?" The frown on Wally's face deepened as he looked closer at the burns on J'onn's chest. "These look almost like handprints."

J'onn's body tensed at his friend's words and Wally's eyes widened. "Did you get into a tangle with Wildfire? I thought you had a date!"

Hesitantly J'onn explained what happened, leaving out the part of the kiss. There was no need for Wally to know how he had fallen into the arms of someone like Wildfire and allowed memories of Tegan to take over. His voice trailed off. It had almost been like having Tegan in his arms. The two women had similar physiques and it had been easy to imagine that it was Tegan and not Wildfire he had been kissing. A deadly mistake.

Wally sighed heavily. "Wow, that's rough. You're never going to believe what happened to me. I followed Wildfire earlier today to her hideout and you'll never guess who was there."

"Who? J'onn asked curiously, wincing as Wally pulled him up to wrap clean bandages around his chest area.

"Selene." Wally said flatly. "She's been alive this whole time…" his voice trailed off and he finished bandaging J'onn up. "Well then." He said clapping his hands together. "I'm off to make myself a sandwich. You want anything?"

J'onn shook his head and leaned back gingerly against his pillows as his friend and the first aid supplies disappeared from the room. He touched a hand to his mouth and fell deep into thought.

* * *

**And that is the end…What will happen next to our misguided heroes and villains? Don't forget to leave a review!**


	9. The Uninvited Guest and Other Surprises

**What's this? An update? :)**

* * *

"Are you positive you wish to go inside yourself?" Starfire's breath tickled Selene's ear and the young woman shivered.

Selene nodded and stared ahead at the building where Tegan was currently residing. Five days had passed since Valentine's Day and she had returned with Starfire to enter the building."Yeah Kori. I can't let the Justice League kill my friend."

Kori scowled and handed Selene a lock picking kit. "Very well," the tamaranian sighed. "I shall allow you to continue with this foolish plan of yours. But if you have not contacted me or returned within thirty minutes then I shall go in to retrieve you."

"Thanks for having my back Kori." Selene gave her friend a quick hug and after taking a deep breath, she made her way towards a side door. The lock on the door was a sophisticated finger print device. Luckily, Selene had everything she needed. Using some prints she lifted from her house, Selene entered the base. Pulling out her GPS tracker Selene moved slowly down the hallway. The small point on the screen began to flash brightly and Selene stopped. And groaned. Along the hall there were nothing but doors.

Selene swore under her breath. How the hell was she supposed to find Tegan in a hallway full of doors? Taking a deep breath she moved to the first door and cracked it open. When nothing exploded and no one screamed at her to shut the door she peeked her head in and found…nothing. Selene couldn't help but feel relieved. She had no idea what she would do if she encountered someone who wasn't Tegan.

Quietly she moved to the next door and placed her hand on the door knob. As she twisted it, a cool voice from behind her asked, "And who the hell are you?"

Forcing herself not to panic, Selene turned around and came face to face with a man covered in metal plates. His eyes and forehead were hidden behind metal but there was something strangely familiar about the way he looked. Clearing her throat Selene said easily, "I'm …a little lost."

The man took a menacing step forward. "I see…And how did you become lost?"

Selene backed up into the door. _ Oh shit._

* * *

Wildfire lay on the bed in her room staring up at the ceiling. She was dressed in a fire retardant pair of shorts and tank that Grodd had thoughtfully provided after she had burned all of the clothing Giganta had given her. With a sigh she turned on her side. All she had been able to think about for the past several days was the kiss she had shared with John…or rather, she thought with a scowl, the Martian Manhunter. She touched a hand to her mouth and her lips heated up; she never would have thought that the alien was capable of acting in such a passionate manner. It had been wonderful and to Wildfire's disgust she wanted to do it again. Maybe she could corner the alien the next time she went against the Justice League. Just the thought of another kiss from him caused smoke to begin to curling up from the sheets underneath her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise at her door. For a moment she thought about ignoring it but the fact that someone was goofing off and interrupting her…imaginings pissed her off. Floating upwards and towards the door, she whipped it open and her mouth dropped as Selene came tumbling in. A clearly angry Electro Master stood in the hallway looking ready to blow. Wildfire looked down and met Selene's eyes. For a second there was silence until Wildfire curled her lips up into a smile and purred, "There you are. I was beginning to think you had gotten lost."

She touched the floor with her feet and leaned over to help Selene up. The other woman looked confused for a moment before an understanding look flickered across her face. Selene looked down shyly and replied, "I did get lost. All these doors look the same."

Wildfire tugged Selene to her and brushed imaginary lint off of her shoulder. Glaring at Electro Master she snapped, "Can I help you?"

"What's this woman doing here? How did she get in?" He asked, his lips twisting in disgust.

"Not that it's any of your business," Wildfire started as she pulled Selene into the room behind her, "but I brought her here for some…fun. Obviously she got lost on her return from the bathroom."

Electro Master's lips thinned. "I don't like this."

Wildfire sneered. "It's not for you or anyone else to like. Now leave me be before I rip that metal off of your face." Without waiting for a reply she stepped back into her room and slammed the door shut. Not skipping a beat she whirled around, fire spurting from her hands. "_What are you doing here?"_

* * *

Selene took a step backwards in surprise. The abrupt change in attitude was unexpected. Forcing herself not to show any fear, she said quietly, "I came here to find you."

Heat radiated off of Tegan's body as she replied angrily, "Are you insane? He could have killed you if I hadn't opened the door!"

"It doesn't matter!" Selene said, taking a step forward. "I had to find you Tegan, I had to show you that I was still alive!"

"Don't call me that. Tegan is dead now. I have a new name."

A frown creased Selene's face. "Yeah, so I heard and that's the reason I'm here. You need to stop this Tegan. Terrorizing innocent people? What is going on with you?"

"Because _you _died Selene!" Wildfire blurted out. "You don't know what it was like to stand there helplessly while one of the people you cared about most in the world died." Tears spilled down Wildfire's cheeks and steam rose up from the salty paths. "They lied Selene. The Justice League told me they would rescue you and they didn't. So I have to do this. I need to stop them from lying and destroying the lives of others."

Selene reached out and grabbed Tegan by her shoulders. She winced, it felt like she were touching a hot stove, but she didn't pull her hands away. She gripped Tegan tighter and asked pleadingly, "By killing and hurting others? How is that helping anyone?"

"It's helping me." Tegan said coldly, her voice a stark contrast to her heated skin. She pulled away. "Nothing you can say will change my mind. This is my life now, Selene."

* * *

Inwardly, Wildfire was trembling. She was furious. Furious that Selene had been alive all this time and furious that her once close friend couldn't understand why she needed to continue on this path. With these abilities Grodd had given her it wasn't as if she could just wave goodbye and go live a normal life. No…She would see this through to the end.

Grabbing Selene's arm, she tugged her forward and grabbed her ponytail. Wildifire ignored her startled gasp and yanked her hair free. With a touch of her hand she burned various sections of Selene's outfit.

"What are you doing!" the other girl cried out.

Wildfire felt her lips twist up into a smile. "Getting you out of here. If Electro Master is still creeping about then we need to make it look like we were doing what he implied." She finished her statement by throwing open the door.

To her surprise Giganta stood poised outside of Electro Master's room wearing nothing but a sheet. The three women stared at each and Giganta's face flamed. "W-Wildfire! T-This isn't what it looks like! I mean, uh, Who's your friend?"

"She's not a friend." Wildfire replied coolly. "I was merely using her to ease a few needs. I'm on my way to dispose of her outside; I don't need my room smelling like roast. Enjoy whatever that mechanical idiot can give you." Her lips twitched upwards as the giant woman turned even redder. She grabbed Selene by the arm and yanked her to the exit door and the two women walked outside.

Once the door was shut Selene quirked an eyebrow. "Roast?"

Wildfire shook her head but the smile on her face wouldn't quite go away. "I had to say something."

"Oh Tegan…" Selene shook her head sadly, "Why can't things be the way they used to?"

Wildfire crossed her arms and looked away. "A line was crossed Selene. There's no going back now." The words were barely out of her mouth before Selene was throwing her arms around her. Wildfire stiffened but when the other girl didn't let go, she relaxed slightly.

After several long moments Wildfire pulled away and said huskily, "… If I were you I'd steer clear of Central City for a few days. Goodbye Selene." She turned around and walked back inside.

* * *

"Are you positive she said Central City?" Jason's face flickered on the screen showing he had a bad connection.

Selene nodded. After leaving Tegan, she had gone straight back to where Starfire had stayed hidden. The Tamaranian had been disappointed at the fact that she wouldn't be needed to destroy anything. The two woman had then made their way to the special plane the Outlaws used to travel around. Once they were in the air and on their way back to the base, Selene had called up Jason using the communication system.

Jason sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. "This is exactly what we didn't need. If she made a point to warn youl, then that means that whatever group she's with will most likely be mounting an attack against the City."

Starfire lifted her chin proudly. "It is not matter, we will deal with the easily."

"No Starfire," Jason replied calmly, "The Justice League will deal with this. We don't have time for whatever is going on here; we need to get back to our duties."

A protest rose up in Selene's throat but Jason turned his eyes on her and she fell silent. "I know you think we should be doing something about this since it's your former friend involved but this is bigger than us." He continued firmly. "We've already spent too much time away from our other missions." He sighed tiredly. "Look just get back here and we'll talk some more." The screen turned black as he shut down the video link.

Selene's mouth dropped. "Did Jason just hang up on me?"

"I believe so." Starfire replied casually. "It is the same method I use on Roy frequently. It is quite empowering."

"It's not empowering Kori!" Selene immediately snapped. "It's rude! Who does he think he is to just brush aside something so important to me? I know we haven't known each other long but I thought he cared about me more than that…"

Starfire patted Selene's arm symmetrically. "It is difficult for Jason to show much affection for those in his life. But it is there."

"Could have fooled me…" Selene said with a sigh. Then her face lit up with determination. "If Jason won't help me then I'll go to someone who will."

* * *

Wally sat in his apartment brooding. Discovering J'onn burned, finding Selene alive…It had been a rocky couple of days and he wanted nothing more than to decompress. But how could he relax when the girl he was crazy about sat somewhere hating his guts? He let out a frustrating groan and flopped backwards onto his bed. And dammit that thing with J'onn was insane. It almost seemed as if his friend had been a compromising position with the villainess…but there was no way something like that was even possible. Right?

Feeling the beginnings of a headache Wally felt relief when his doorbell rang. He had ordered pizza earlier and that would definitely take his mind off things. He grabbed his wallet and zipped to the door waving several bills in his hands. "You guys sure do work fast…" his voice trailed off as he found himself looking into the amused expression of Selene. "Selene? What are you doing here?"

Selene pushed past him into the apartment and saying, "We need to talk."

"That's an understatement," mumbled Wally as he shut his door. He felt a strange mixture of nervousness, giddiness, and anger. Turning to his former dead almost lover he rubbed the back of his head and asked, "Want something to drink?"

He watched as Selene bit her lip, hesitating. Finally she shook her head. "No thank you."

Slowly Wally walked over to where she stood and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch. He settled himself into the armchair and shrugged his shoulders. "What are you doing here Selene?"

"Are you really the Flash?" Selene blurted out. "It's not a trick that you were playing on me earlier?"

Wally sighed. "What's your favorite European food? Show me on your phone."

For a moment Selene protested but Wally insisted so she pulled out her phone and quickly did a search. Holding her phone out to Wally she admitted, "I really like arepas, they're from Venezuel…" Her voice trailed off into shock as she suddenly found her hand empty and Wally pointing the screen of the phone at her. Instead of a picture of an arepa, Selene was staring at a photo of Wally with his arm around a angry looking little old woman who was standing over a counter where she had been preparing a dish of arepas. And in his other hand…Selene's mouth dropped at the steaming arepa in Wally's hand.

He smirked and handed her both items. "Believe me now?"

Wally grinned widely as Selene just stared at the items in her hands. Finally she looked back at him, a troubled expression on her face. "You…really are the Flash…but how is that even possible?"

"Anything's possible." Wally replied simply. "It's easier if you don't think about it."

Selene's shoulders slumped forward and she set the things in her hand down on the coffee table in front of her. When she looked at him, he was alarmed to see tears in her eyes. "Wally, you couldn't save me from that building and I didn't think I'd ever forgive you for that but I'm willing to put that aside if you'll help me."

Leaning forward Wally asked, "Help you with what?"

There was an ominous silence before Selene whispered, "Help me stop Tegan from killing a ton of people."

* * *

J'onn was in the Watch Tower tapping away at a report on one of the computers when the report came in that Wildfire had been spotted in a new city. Hawkgirl, who was there with him, stood up from her seat and grinned. "Finally! I have been wanting to test some new tactics against Wildfire."

"Actually Hawkgirl, I shall handle this…if you do no not mind." J'onn felt the words slip out before he could stop them.

Hawkgirl looked at him incredulously and planted her hands on her hips. "Are you trying to take a target from me J'onn?"

The Martian Manhunter was saved from replying by The Green Lantern who came through the doors scowling. "What are you harping on about now Woman? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

As the couple began bickering, J'onn breathed a sigh of relief and quietly slipped away. Within minutes he was flying over the city where Wildfire had been spotted. It wasn't hard to find her location; he merely followed the trail of smoke. At the point where it stopped, J'onn landed on the ground. The streets were empty which was surprising but it was merely an illusion; he could sense the trembling psyches of the many humans hiding in nearby buildings. Turning his face to the smoke J'onn took in as deep a breath as he could and then exhaled it forcefully.

Like Superman, The Martian Manhunter had super breath so when the air came out of his lungs, it was strong enough to blow all the smoke away revealing a windblown Wildfire. Wisps of hair had escaped from her severe hair style and her mask was askew. She quickly fixed it and gave him a smile. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Glancing at the singed buildings J'onn replied coolly, "Not soon enough."

Wildfire shrugged a slim shoulder. "Collateral damage." She lifted off the ground a few inches and floated over to him. J'onn's breathing froze as she reached out a finger and ran it down his chest. "Follow Me?" The words were spoken huskily, the look in her eyes turning the statement into a question.

* * *

Wildfire licked her lips as the Martian wavered. After Selene had left her, Wildfire had returned to her quarters and continued to pine after the blasted alien. Unable to take it any longer she had dressed in her outfit and gone to the nearest town to wreak havoc in a pitiful attempt to attract his attention. Thank God it had worked. Now, her hand drifted back up his chest and to her relief he gave a stiff nod.

She turned around. "Then make sure you keep up." The words were spoken as she lifted up into the air and rapidly flew off. They flew for miles. When she was sure he wasn't looking, Wildfire would turn her face to catch glimpses of the Martian Manhunter. God, he wasn't even handsome. Not in the traditional sense anyways, but every fiber of her being cried out to claim him in every way possible.

Unable to resist any longer, Wildfire propelled them towards the ground. They landed in the midst of a recently used campsite and before the Martian could blink she was on him. Her arms wound around his neck as her mouth pressed against his. He gasped and Wildfire took advantage of the motion to slide her tongue against his. His hands settled at her waist and she was relieved to feel him pulling her closer to him. Her hands slide down to stroke his chest but they came to halt as he winced.

Immediately Wildfire pulled back. Brushing the edges of his cloak back she was given a clear view of the barely healed marks on his chest. Her face paled and she stepped backwards, ready to flee, but the Martian grabbed her by the wrists and stopped her. "I am fine." He said firmly.

"But for how long?" Wildfire asked feeling miserable as her body, already heated from the sensations of his kiss, began to burn. "I'll kill you with my fire before I...before we…" Her voice trailed off as her cheeks turned red.

The Martian Manhunter pressed his lips together and replied, "You merely need to exercise more control."

Irritation flared up within Wildfire but after a moment she realized that if she wished for anything to happen physically between them she would need to follow his counsel. She nodded slowly. "Very well Manhunter; I will exercise control…let's see how well _your_ control holds up with what I'm about to do to you."

Wildfire leaned forward and pressed a heated kiss to the Martian's chest. A hot trail of them went downwards and soon J'onn realized just how little control he had…

* * *

_Selene! That was Selene! _

Electro Master ignored the faint yell in his mind as he used his electrical abilities to silently turn on the large server in the main area of the base of operations. It was dark now and everyone was sleeping.

The perfect time to do a little investigating.

His mind continued to scream names and ideas but he pushed them aside restlessly. He had no time for the random mumblings of the pathetic man trapped inside; he had more important things to think about.

Such as his nearly complete plan to take down the Justice League and Grodd with his foolish followers.

Clicking his way through file after file, Electro Master chuckled evilly. Soon…it would all be his.

* * *

**How'd you guys like that chapter? I'm sad to say that things are coming to an end! Will Selene be successful in saving Tegan? Will the Martian Manhunter ever realize Wildfire's true identity? Is Aaron lost forever in the mind of Electro Master? Stayed tuned for the next chapter of Fate's Intertwined! **

**ANYWHO, The reason it took me so long to update this story is because my 10 year anniversary came up here on and I decided, as a gift to myself, to rewrite my favorite of my old fanfics. Kiwi. It has completely rewritten and I will be updating that one weekly. So, if you're looking for something to read while I work on the chapters of this fic then check that one out! It is called "Days of our Past." Please enjoy it!**


	10. The Beginning of the End

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter of Fate's Intertwined! Just a quick reminder; please leave a review once you've finished! Those few words you write are a real encouragement for the author when they're working on the next chapter. So I'd like to give a special thank you to SuiLon, Thomas, Puja, and UnstableDread who have been constant reviewers! I'm always excited to see what you guys think. **

**Now, Enjoy the update! :D**

* * *

Selene left Wally's apartment feeling strangely guilty. She had gone there behind Jason's back, which was sure to cause some sort of fight between them, and she had dragged someone she used to care deeply for into her problems. Selene sighed and rubbed her arms feeling cold. If only Jason had been more understanding…she looked down. Wally seemed to be the only person in the world who understood how much it meant to her to get her friend back. As she turned at the corner of the street and headed towards the shopping district of Central City, Selene felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She was surprised to find five missed calls…all of them from Jason.

She hit the redial button wondering why she hadn't noticed her phone ringing. _Maybe, _a small part of her whispered _because Wally had all your focus…_ she shook the thought from her mind as Jason answered the phone. She brightened and sat down on a bus bench. "Hey Jason, you were trying to call me?"

Instead of the warm response she had been expecting Selene blinked in surprise as Jason ground out on the other end, "Where the hell have you been? Why would you have Kory drop you off in Central City?"

"I….I had to take care of a few errands," Selene replied with a mental wince. It wasn't a lie really, talking to someone in their apartment could constitute as an errand.

"I see." Jason said coolly. "Did these errands have anything to do with your exboyfriend who happens to live in that area?"

Immediately Selene felt anger rising up inside of her. "What exactly are you implying Jason?"

"I think you know exactly what I'm implying."

"Well, I did come to see a man." Selene said hotly. "But not for the reasons you're implying! I…I came to speak to the Flash." She admitted. "He was willing to listen to my concerns! And since he's part of the league he can help me stop Wildfire!"

There was an angry hiss on the other end and Selene could almost see Jason's jaw clenched. "I thought we had discussed this," he bit out. "The league can handle Wildfire. We have our own business to take care of!"

"No, _you_ discussed it!" Selene cried out. "You didn't even give me a chance to give my opinion on the matter. Wildfi…Tegan is my friend and I have to do whatever I can to set things right and make everything go back to as close to normal as possible."

Jason let out a bitter chuckle, "You can be so naïve. Do you really think that just because you want something you can have it? Grow up Selene before the world takes your dreams and smashes them into pieces." There was a long moment of silence as Selene stood there gaping at what Jason had just said. Before she could form a response he continued, his tone rushed. " I'm getting another call. Send me your location so that Roy can retrieve you; he's in the area."

"I don't need you or your…your…POSSE to come help me!" Selene snapped. "I can get myself back to your base!" It was several moments before she realized that he had already hung up. Angrily she thrust her cell phone into her pocket and stomped off towards the stores. She had been heading that way to catch a taxi but maybe she would stay awhile longer to blow off some steam. Screw Jason. Who needed a man when there was retail therapy?

* * *

In a suburb just outside of Central City, Roy Harper walked through the aisles of an antique shop. He had been passing through hurrying to get back to the Outlaws when he had spotted the store and decided to stop. Starfire didn't ask for much out of their relationship but Roy knew she enjoyed the older and more delicate items she had seen on earth. As he browsed a shelf containing vases, his phone rang. Absently he answered the phone. "Yo."

"You really have to work on your greeting," an irritated Jason replied.

Roy rolled his eyes and looked at the price on a vase. "Yeah, whatever. Do you need something? I should be back in about two hours."

Without hesitation Jason said, "I need you to pick up Selene. She's in Central City."

"Uh, sure I guess I could. Where is she?"

This time, Jason hesitated. "I'm not sure…I just know she's there."

Roy scowled at the price of the vase and continued on his way. Shifting the phone to his other ear he said warily, " Is this a domestic issue? I'm not getting involved in something like that."

"Just do it!" Jason snapped.

"Look dude," Roy started as he eyed some figurines. "I'm busy at the moment. Besides it's my night off; why don't you go and pick her up if you're so concerned?"

"If you don't do this I'm going to tell Starfire what really happened between you and Jade two months ago."

Roy cursed. "Fine! I'll do it, jeez…" He hung up and dialed Selene's number. When the call went to voicemail he shrugged. "Whatever, at least I tried."

* * *

Two hours later, Selene was walking down the street in the Central City shopping district with a small bag hanging from her wrist. She had been too preoccupied with the thoughts of Jason and Wally swirling through her mind. On one had she had Jason; a man who, generally, treated her well and helped her a time when all seemed hopeless. He had taught her how to defend herself and had opened up a world of possibilities for her. He was skilled with his body in other ways too. Selene's face heated up. Not that that was at the top of her list but it was important…especially considering how Wally made her feel.

She hadn't thought about Jason once while she had been in the redhead's company. And even as she had talked with him about Tegan a small part of her had remained aware of every movement he made. The quirk of Wally's lips as he smiled, the way his lean muscles had looked beneath his shirt, the long tapered fingers that had brushed against her hand…

Selene shook her head and tried to force the handsome redhead out of her head. She sighed heavily and started to cross the street when she heard screaming. Pausing at the cross walk she turned in the direction she had come and saw people running frantically in her direction. She didn't have to wait long to find out why. In his customary purple and blue battle suit came Lex Luthor. Destroying store fronts and tossing cars. At his side was someone who looked familiar, but at a distance Selene couldn't tell who it was.

Not wishing to meet an early death Selene began to run in the opposite direction but Luthor moved quickly. Realizing she would never make it if she continued on a straight path, Selene cut back across the street and dove into an alley way. Safe for the time being, she peered around the corner and her heart sped up as Luthor was suddenly thrown backwards by a well aimed punch from non other than Superman.

The man of steel floated majestically in the air, his arms crossed and looking angry. "Luthor! I'm only going to warn you once; if you don't stop this madness I'll be forced to take you in…possibly by force!"

Luthor chuckled insolently. "I've learned some new tricks since we last met Superman. This time you're going to be the one experiencing pain!"

"What makes you think you can beat me this time?" Superman asked, his tone curious and the smile on his face mocking. "Don't you get tired of losing?"

The look on Luthor's face was ugly and the force of hatred and anger it conveyed caused Selene to touch a hand to her mouth. When he spoke his words sounded ominous. "Every loss has led me to this moment. The moment where I and the rest of those like me put an end to the Justice League!"

Selene watched in horror as several figures emerged from behind Luthor. Although she did not recognize all of them, she could see that Giganta, the woman who had been living in the same place as Tegan, and the sinister Electro Master were there. The only relief Selene felt was when she realized that Tegan was not there. As the villains stepped forward she noted that all of them sported metal collars around their neck similar to the one she had seen Tegan wearing. But unlike the slim one her friend wore these were thicker and seemed to have a design on them.

Superman smiled in amusement at the villains gathering around Luthor. "Seems like this party is unevenly matched. Good thing I brought my friends too." He finished the statement by jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the rest of the Justice League who appeared behind him.

As the two teams went against each other Selene moved deeper down into the alley and pulled out her cell phone. As much as she hated to, she would have to call Jason and ask him to send Roy to pick her up. There was no way she could get herself out of this mess.

* * *

Jason heard the phone ring but was oblivious to the sound. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him; his face deathly pale. The phone went silent but several minutes later began to ring again. The man barely blinked as Starfire stormed into the room. Planting her hands on her shapely hips she demanded, "Will you not be answering that? It is disturbing my peace!"

When he didn't reply Starfire narrowed her eyes and walked up to him. "What is the matter? This is most unlike you."

The words fell from Jason's lips making him feel sicker. "Damian…he's dead."

Starfire recoiled at his statement. "No! You mustn't say such things about the Tiny Robin. That is a cruel joke."

"Do you really think I would joke about something like that?" Jason shouted. Without realizing it he was on his feet and his fist was in the wall. "Damn it!" He leaned his forehead against the wall and ignored the aching in his head. God…he was such a failure. Sure Damian didn't like him and he hadn't been too fond of the younger boy but Jason hadn't wanted him to die. Not like this. He flinched as slim arms wrapped around him from behind.

Leaning her forehead against his back, Starfire said gently, "It is alright if you wish to weep. I shall keep it a secret."

Jason relaxed and as the tears began to drip down his face he reasoned that he was due for at least one cry in his adulthood.

* * *

_Shit shit shit shit! _The curse echoed throughout Roy's head as he watched the news helicopters circling over Central City. Several large booms were heard and smoke began to drift upwards. Currently the young man was standing outside of the store, his arms filled with packages. He hadn't been able to decide on just one thing to get Kory. Quickly he moved to his arm and popped the trunk, dumping the packages inside unceremoniously.

"Damn it all!" Roy cursed again. Jason was going to rip him a new one when he realized that Roy had never gone to get Selene. Feeling worried about the newest member of the group, Roy reached into trunk, past the bags and grabbed his quiver. Getting killed in the city while searching for Selene was preferable to Jason finding out he goofed up.

* * *

When Jason didn't answer, Selene calmly put her phone back in her pocket. She took a deep breath…alright she could do this. Hadn't she escaped with Tegan and Aaron a few months ago from that crazy battle outside of the benefit? A pang of sadness hit her as she thought of her friends. So much had changed. A chunk of concrete landing beside her knocked Selene out of her funk. Without hesitating she ran out of the alleyway and raced down the street away from where the battle was taking place. Around her, running in the same direction, were stragglers who had been too engrossed in the Justice League's arrival to think about escaping.

A man who looked around her age raced wildly ahead but came to a sudden stop as he hit what seemed to be an invisible barrier. His scream echoed down the street as electricity coursed through his body. Several others who were going too fast to stop experienced a similar fate. Selene and the others stopped in horror and stared at the blackened and still bodies of the people who had just been with them.

Grabbing a fist sized stone from the ground; Selene threw it forward and felt herself tremble slightly as it exploded in a shower of sparks. The others near her began a panicked murmur that quieted at the bone chilling laugh echoing from behind them. They all turned and watched the scene unfolding before them.

* * *

Superman aimed another punch at his arch nemesis and yelled, "Give it up Lex! There's no point when you're just going to lose again!"

Lex straightened and powered up a special gun attached to the end of the robot arm. "You're wrong Superman; This ti…" his voice ended in a strangled cry as the collar around his throat began to glow. Abruptly he dropped to his knees and clawed at his throat. It was no use; the collar would not budge.

Superman watched as it began to spark and being the person he was, he reached out to grab the collar. The moment his hand connected with the metal he was thrown backwards. He hit the side of the building as he righted himself he realized that all the villains were experiencing similar moments of distress. "Diana; what's going on?"

Wonder Woman, who had been fighting Cheetah, flew over to him and replied, "I'm not sure. The only one not experiencing anything seems to be him. She pointed down to where one of the villains; a man in metal, stood. An evil smirk covered his face and barely controlled laughter spilled from his lips.

As the affected villains collapsed the man let out a bone chilling laugh. He raised his arms up and cried out, "Let the world see now how useless their heroes really are! Rise my army and gather to you the new recruits!"

Slowly and in unison the villains stood and Hawkgirl exchanged glances with Green Lantern. The villains' eyes were all a deep red colour, their faces blank from any expression. Around their necks the collars glowed dimly. It was only then that Green lantern noticed that around each of the villains' waists hung a pouch. In unison they reached for the bags and each of them pulled out metal collar.

"Damn it!" He swore. "They're going to try to turn us into one of them!"

Hawkgirl growled and raised her morning star high above her head. "I'm not afraid of them!" she cried out.

Green Lantern tried to grab her arm but it was too late. Hawkgirl swooped down with a battle cry and aimed her weapon at the head of Giganta. Instead of connecting, the same force that had sent Superman flying caused the morning star to bounce harmlessly away from giganta. Hawkgirl tried again to attack but she found herself immobilized by Sinestro's ring. Green Lantern flew downward, shouting, but it was too late. Ginganta slid one of the collars around Hawkgirl's throat.

Immediately, Hawkgirl cried out in pain as the collar glowed brightly and did to her what it did to the others. Green Lantern reached her and tried to remove the collar but he was sent flying. Helplessly he watched as the glow of the collar dimmed and Hawkgirl turned to face him with red eyes.

Electro Master cackled, "It's no use Green Lantern, Hawkgirl is now ours but don't worry…you'll join her soon enough!" He pointed at the rest of the Justice League and the ones under his control turned their faces slowly I their direction. "Initiate the rest!"

* * *

Roy entered the city easily and made his way towards the center of the city where all the ruckus seemed to be come from. Along the way he shouted Selene's name which earned him nothing but a few irritated and curious looks from bystanders who were too curious about the battle to leave the city. He pulled out his cell phone and tired calling Selene's cell phone again. Just as he was giving up there was a click and then a whispered, "Roy?"

Relief made Roy's legs weak and he sagged against a parked car. "Selene! Where are you? Did you leave Central City?"

The relief was short lived as Selene replied in a trembling voice, "No…I'm stuck in the shopping district. The Justice League is here Roy but…" her words were lost in the sounds of an explosion and screams. Roy braced himself against the car as the ground beneath his feet moved. People screamed and he covered his ear with his hand.

"Selene! Are you still there?" He shouted the words into the phone desperately.

There was a moment of silence. "I'm here…Roy there's some sort of electrical barrier surrounding this area." Selene said. "Some people tried to get through but it just electrocuted them to death."

Roy pressed his mouth into a thin line. "Can you give me your coordinates?"

"I'm on…" her voice trailed off and it was a moment before Selene was able to give him the street name. "I'm hidden behind some burned out cars…There's some crazy man who calls himself Electro Master…he's made some sort of army out of villains and he's doing something to make the Justice League members join him." There was the sound of breaking glass and Selene continued in a low voice. "He's already gotten Hawkgirl, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman."

Roy neared her location and saw through the glow of flames and smoke the fight that was going on. He could just barely make out the zooming figure of Flash kicking someone in the face and what appeared to be Superman being flung into a building. "Holy shit. I just reached where you're at; give me a moment." He set the cell phone aside and pulled out his bow and an arrow. Carefully he lined up the arrow and aimed it before him. It shot out from the bow and flew several feet before stopping in mid air and exploding in a shower of sparks. He swore again and picked up the cell phone. "I've just reached your area…I don't think I'll be able to make it in."

Selene said faintly. "Oh God…they got Superman…they've got them all. Roy you need to get help! I-I didn't see Batman or the Martian Manhunter here."

Roy opened his mouth to reply but froze when Selene let out a scream. Before him, through the barrier, he could see the members of the Justice League and others, presumably the villains, snatching people from where they were hidden behind cars and in alley ways. Some were being thrown to the ground like helpless dolls while others were being carried off. "SELENE!"

There was no answer on the other end.

* * *

Jason sat on the couch his head resting against Kory's shoulder. The Tamaranian woman had her arm curled around his shoulder and was gently brushing the hair back from his forehead.

"Are you feeling better?" Kory asked softly.

Jason nodded. "Yeah…thanks." He had spent the last two hours on the phone with Alfred and Bruce. Tomorrow he would go down to Wayne Manor to see them and discuss the important things; mainly how to bring down Damian's killer. He yawned and his eyes landed on the clock on the wall opposite of them. A slight frown pulled his lips downwards. "Is that the time?"

Kory stretched languidly beside him and Jason was rewarded with a mouthful of red hair. He groaned in disgust and pulled away from her. She smiled at him. "Yes. It is the time."

"Well your boyfriend is late." Jason said shortly. "He should have been back with Selene by now."

"You worry too much." Kory replied as she slid her body down to rest her head against his leg. "Roy is more than capable of retrieving Selene. They are probably partaking in a meal together."

Absently Jason brushed his fingers through Kory's hair. "That doesn't make you jealous?" he asked slightly amused. "The thought of your boyfriend with another woman?"

Kory shrugged. "It does not matter; he will be in my bed at the end of the day. And I can easily eliminate any real threats."

The conversation faded as they both began to fall asleep but Jason found himself being jerked awake by the loud buzzing noise his cell phone was making on the coffee table. He shifted Kory off of his lap and his lips quirked upwards at her sleepy protest. He answered the phone without looking at the screen. "What? Oh, Roy. Where the hell are you man? Did you get Selene?"

Jason's back stiffened and he leapt to his feet. "_WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S TRAPPED_?"

* * *

Selene screamed and fought against the person who grabbed her but it was no use. She glanced down and saw a lot of bare, muscular legs, ending in dark boots. She cursed under her breath. It was Wonder Woman who held her. No way was she escaping. The Amazonian woman dragged Selene over to where Electro Master stood on a chunk of broken concrete. Selene was thrown forward and she fell besides some of the other people who had been hiding around her. The ones who hadn't been killed. One by one, Electro Master's "army" brought forth civilians who had been hiding within the area. Soon there was a sizeable group of them.

When the last had been brought forth, Electro Master's arms rose upwards and he declared, "Today, you have witnessed your so called precious heroes defeat. But that is not enough! I shall now expose them as the monsters they truly are! Consider this a preview of things to come." He moved his hand slightly and a blank faced Superman floated forward. "You think the Man of Steel really cares about you? Think again!"

The words had barely left his mouth before Superman's eyes blazed and his heat vision took out three people standing near him. Others in the crowd screamed and Electro Master laughed. "Oh this is too rich. Why don't we make this more interesting. I'll let you cowards live if you make it three blocks away." He rubbed his chin. "I'll even give you a ten second head start just to be 'fair'. Now go!"

Selene didn't hesitate as she turned and ran as fast as she could. Tripping over some cables, she scrambled back up with a broken sob. Was this really how she was going to die?

* * *

**Will Selene finally meet her end or will she be saved by a man who wears a condom mask? Where are Batman, Martian Manhunter and Wildfire? Will Electro Master be defeated and the Justice League taken out of his grasp or is too late? The answers to all this and more in the ****_conclusion_**** of Fates Intertwined!**


	11. The Final Goodbye

**Every single time I say that the story is about to end something happens and it doesn't. So be happy followers, this is not the last chapter but I promise that it's coming up quickly. **

**Better get your tissues ready. **

**Song: Final Goodbye by Rihanna**

* * *

_I never should have waited so long to say_

_What I've always known since the very first day_

_Thought that you would stay forever with me_

_But the time has come to leave…_

Bruce Wayne sat in his office nursing a glass of whiskey. He didn't normally spend time drinking at home but today was an exception. His dark eyes flickered to the door and he remembered the last time he had been here how Damian had come bursting through the door demanding that Bruce take him to the zoo.

"_It is imperative you take me to this place Father. All the other children have experienced this animal prison and it is simply unthinkable that I have yet to go." _

"_Damian…the zoo is _not_ an animal prison." _

"_Will you take me?" _ Damian's face had scrunched in disgust before he finished, _"Or shall I have to ask Grayson to do it?" _

Bruce felt his heart clench and he squeezed the glass in his hand hard. God…how could Damian be gone? He set the glass down and walked over to the window. He should have spent more time with the boy doing _normal_ things that other fathers did with their children. Like baseball and board games…movie nights and family barbeques. Bruce leaned his head against the cool glass of the window and closed his eyes. Once again he had failed someone close to him. His eyes opened at the sound of his office door opening.

"What is it Alfred?"

Alfred Pennyworth his butler, friend, and father figure cleared his throat. "Master Jason has called. He sounds…desperate."

"Are you sure it's Jason?" Bruce asked, turning around to grab the phone Alfred held out to him.

The British man raised an eyebrow. "Positive sir." He left the room as Bruce brought the phone to his ear.

"Twice in one day Jason" Bruce said lightly. "This must be some sort of record."

Jason's voice was tight when he spoke. "Have you seen the news?"

Bruce's lips twitched and he immediately made his way to the Bat Cave; a sick feeling filling his stomach as he read the news feeds. How could he have been so foolish? Wrapped up in his own guilt he had failed to realize that his team needed him. Now Electro Master had them, along with several high profile villains enslaved. "As much as I appreciate the heads up Jason, why are you calling me about it?"

There was silence on the other end before Jason said gruffly, "Someone I know is trapped down there. I need to get her out."

He and Bruce talked for a few moments more before hanging out. Bruce zoomed in on the images and frowned. The whole team was there except for J'onn. Where was the Martian Manhunter?

* * *

Jason yanked his mask over his head and checked one last time that his weapons were fully loaded. Dammit he was an idiot. He should have never have let Selene go on her own to see her 'friend' Wildfire. And he should have never have over reacted to her seeing her exboyfriend. It's not like he was clean; he had Kory had had a thing back in the early days. Selene sure as hell would be pissed if she found that out.

"Are you ready Jason?" Kory's voice pulled the Red Hood from his thoughts and he turned around.

The Tamaranian stood in the doorway, her body barely covered in that purple thing she called armour. How did everything even stay in place? Jason nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

He would rescue Selene and prove to her how much he cared for her.

* * *

_Before we turn out the lights and close our eyes_

_I'll tell you a secret I've held all my life_

_It's you that I live for, and for that I die_

_So I'll lay here with you 'til the final goodbye_

The whole world had gone to hell. Wally West, also known as the Flash, stood beside Electro Master wondering if this was the end. Sinestro had attacked him to place the collar around his neck and Wally had pretended to fall victim to the collar's workings. Just before the clasp had been put in place Wally had used his speed to rewire the collar. His ruse had worked and now he was waiting for a chance to help his friends. Sweat dripped down his face as Superman took out three bystanders. Supes was not going to be happy when he was out of this guy's control.

His eyes drifted over the crowd of frightened civilians and his eyes landed on Selene. Her face was white with fear and Wally couldn't blame her; this guy was a serious nutcase. Upon arriving on the scene Wally had immediately noticed Selene but seeing that she was fleeing with the rest of the crowd he had decided that he could focus his attentions on the villains. Big mistake. He wished he had taken the two seconds to get her to safety. Now there was a very real possibility that she would die.

Electro Master gave instructions for the crowd to begin running and Wally's body tensed. He could at least help save her from this slaughter. The civilians scattered, running wildly away from Electro Master and his minions. Electro Master gave the signal for his followers to attack and Wally didn't waste a second. He had kept his eyes on Selene and before the Superman had killed his fourth person, Wally had his arms around Selene and was running into a crumbling building a block and a half away.

Selene screamed fearfully but Wally clamped a hand over her mouth and whispered, "Be quiet! It's me! Now stay here!"

Wally was gone before she could blink. He raced back out onto the street and grabbed two other civilians. He deposited them with Selene with the same instructions to shut up before disappearing again. By the time he finished he had managed to save eight people. Eight people out of a group of fifty.

As Wonder Woman killed the last of the civilians, Wally zipped back into the building and pulled Selene into his arms. He kissed her firmly and said, "Sorry I can't do more babe. I'm sorry I couldn't do more…"

Selene slipped her arms around his waist and clung to him. "Oh…Wal…I mean…Flash please; don't get yourself killed."

The fact that he could very well die out there kept Wally from making one of his usual lighthearted jokes. Instead he brushed the hair out of Selene's eyes and kissed her again. "I'll do my best."

* * *

Electro Master's eyes narrowed as the Flash zipped up beside Hawkgirl. The collars were linked to a system he had set up and could control remotely with his mind; staring at the Flash he willed the man in red to strike out at Hawkgirl but the super hero stood there obliviously. Electro Master's lips pulled back in a sneer. "A job well done my followers. Now we shall decimate the rest of this city!"

His army stared at him mindlessly and he instructed Wonder Woman to use her lasso to grab the Flash. The speedster squeaked in shock as the lasso settled around his body. Wonder Woman used her foot to slam him down into the ground and the Flash chuckled nervously. "Looks like you found me out! Sorry your little collar didn't work on me."

"No Flash, you'll be truly sorry in a few moments." Electro Master promised with a smile. He looked at Superman. "Break him…in as many pieces as you like."

The man of steel advanced forward and grabbed onto Wally's leg. Pinned to the ground beneath Wonder Woman, all the Flash could do was scream. Once his legs had been broken severely, Electro Master instructed Superman to do the other man's arms. By the time Superman finished, the Flash had fainted and his body was a broken mess. Due to his high metabolism, it was beginning to heal itself; only without being set, his legs, arms and other broken bones were healing incorrectly. There was no way he'd be able to move.

Electro Master chuckled and pressed a button allowing the electrical barrier he had placed around this section of the city to drop. It was time to destroy the rest of humanity.

* * *

_Hold, draw me close, close to my lips_

_Listen intently, as I tell you this_

_Outside the world wages its wars_

_I'll rest in peace as long as you know…_

_**Earlier in the day…**_

Wildfire and the Martian Manhunter lay entwined on the ground, their lips moving against each other, hands racing over each other's bodies. Wildfire's hair had been released and the top part of her outfit had been pulled down to her to her waist. The slim collar was still around her neck but Wildfire barely noticed it as The Martian's mouth drifted down to her chest. She brushed her fingers over his head and sighed. As his mouth and fingers worked over her body, Wildfire felt her insides burning up. Smoke began to curl up from beneath her and this time she groaned in frustration and not from pleasure. Abruptly Wildfire shoved the Martian off of her and rolled away from him. Trembling she watched as tendrils of flames slid down her fingers to her arms. She tried to force down the fire but this time she couldn't. She scrambled to her feet and strode several feet away.

"Wildfire, what is it?" The words had barely dropped from the Martian's mouth when Wildfire's body erupted into flames. The heat was nearly unbearable and Wildfire gritted her teeth together. It had never been like this before…She dropped to her knees and it was several minutes before she was able to force the flames down. Even so she could still feel the fire burning deep within her. Feeling miserable she looked at the Martian Manhunter and said flatly, "I think this is as far as we're going to go Martian…I can't control it."

The Martian Manhunter stood and walked over to her, his face unreadable. Wildfire looked away feeling ashamed. Then his hand was on her face, gently turning her back to him. "Call me J'onn." He said firmly. His thumb brushed against her bottom lip and Wildfire's breath hitched. "I have a shower." His cheeks flushed a purple color.

Wildfire raised an eyebrow and brushed some strands of hair back from her face. "I…also have a shower."

J'onn helped her to her feet and leaned forward, brushing his mouth against hers. "Follow me."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Wildfire found herself standing in a nondescript apartment. Looking at her plain surroundings she asked hesitantly, "Is this where you live as John?"

J'onn nodded and before her eyes transformed into the man she had first met. "Perhaps you prefer me like this." The look on his face was apprehensive.

"I like you both ways." Wildfire replied honestly. She crossed the room and touched the sides of his face. "It's crazy how attracted I am to you J'onn. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

J'onn looked down and took a step backwards and Wildfire allowed her arms to drop down to her sides. A strange feeling filled her chest and she could feel her palms beginning to burn. Just as quickly the feeling went away when he spoke. "I have felt this way…but the woman died and I thought those feelings would never be mine again. Then I met you."

Wildfire touched a hand to her collar wondering how J'onn would react if he knew who she really was. Would he be like Selene; relieved but desperate to save her? Or would his feelings turn into hatred?

"You don't mean that," she said finally. "Your body is just being overwhelmed by-by hormones."

J'onn shook his head. "This not a mere chemical reaction. If It were we would not be so desperate for one another. No…this is something more."

"You'll hate me." Wildfire replied, turning her back to him. "Once you learn the truth about who I am… all your so called 'feelings' will turn into disgust. This was a mistake." She strode over to the window to leave but stopped in her tracks as J'onn grabbed her by the wrist.

J'onn pulled her away from the window and turned her towards him. His eyes sparked with anger. "Why do you insist on pretending to know what I think? Let me be the judge of what I can and cannot handle. Your fear is needless. If I were going to hate you then it would have happened long before this. Why can you not trust me?"

J'onn watched as Wildfire's face seemed to pale beneath her mask. Her skin was hot but he did not release his hold on her. He stared into her eyes and felt desire curl within. Despite everything J'onn believed in he wanted this woman and no matter the consequences he would have her. His hand slid up her arm to cup the back of Wildfire's neck. He leaned over and touched his forehead to hers. "I've bared myself to you…don't you think I deserve the same?" he felt her shudder and then their lips were touching again.

"Oh J'onn…" she sighed against his mouth. Wildfire pulled back, her shoulders squaring. "Fine…you deserve the truth. I'm not sure how much longer I would have been able to hide it from you anyways."

She turned around and her hands touched her throat. J'onn watched as she removed the collar from around her neck and dropped it to the ground. His eyes widened and he took a step backwards in shock as he was suddenly came into contact with her thoughts. "It can't be true." He breathed.

Wildfire turned back around as she pulled off her mask revealing herself for who she really was.

J'onn drank in the sight of Tegan wondering why he hadn't realized that it was her sooner. His eyes flickered to the collar on the ground. Whatever that was it had kept him from the truth. Tegan's eyes were guarded and she shrugged a slim shoulder. "Disgusted yet?"

"No." J'onn said as he reached out to touch her face. "Relieved. Happy. Sad that I did not find out the truth earlier….and confused as to why you chose to go along this path."

Tegan looked down and in halting words explained to J'onn everything that had happened to her since they had seen each other. "So you see?" she finished. "This was a way for me to avenge Selene's death and make sure no one had to go through what I did. But it's all gone wrong. Selene is alive and…and you're _you_. I'm not sure I can kill you anymore." she sighed heavily and smoke began to curl up from underneath her feet. An agitated expression settled on Tegan's face as her hands began to release wisps of smoke. "Oh damn it, it's happening again."

"Come here." J'onn instructed as he moved towards the short hallway in his apartment. He led her into the bathroom and motioned for her to stand in the bathtub. Tegan climbed in and jumped as J'onn turned the spray of cold water on towards her. She scowled at him but the water had the desired effect; the flames that had begun running down her arms hissed out of existence and steam rose up in their place.

Tegan shivered slightly. "D-Do you always put girls into the shower on the f-first date?"

"Not unless I plan to join them," J'onn replied huskily as his cape dropped down to the floor.

Tegan felt her heart beat faster as J'onn stepped naked into the shower with her. His hands settled on her waist and his mouth touched her jaw. She closed her eyes and let out a soft moan. Her hands slid down his body and she licked the water running down his shoulder "One of us," she murmured, "Is wearing too many clothes."

"Let me help with that." Was J'onn's simple reply as he peeled her uniform off. Their bodies came together and the small bathroom soon filled with steam.

* * *

Several hours later, Tegan rolled onto her side pulling J'onn's arm more tightly around her. After their interlude in the bathroom the young woman had spent a good thirty minutes sitting beneath the cold spray of the shower. When she was thoroughly chilled she had gone into the bedroom and spend a very enjoyable time with J'onn on his bed. Absently Tegan brushed her fingers over her chest. Her skin was warm but nowhere near as hot as it could have been. She looked down and saw that J'onn's arm was no longer green but the dark brown color she had first fallen for.

A smile tugged at her lips and she turned to face him, unfazed by the fact that he had been watching her. Running a hand over the hair on his head, Tegan asked teasingly. "What? Is it John's turn now?"

"If you would like." J'onn replied with a teasing smile. "Or perhaps you would like…" his voice trailed off as he transformed his body into that of a famous actor she had long ago mentioned finding attractive. He chuckled at Tegan's startled gasp.

Although her eyes darkened with desire, Tegan shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "I don't want to be with anyone but you. The _real_ you." J'onn reverted back to his green form and leaned into kiss her. The action was interrupted by the loud buzzing noise coming from the living room of his apartment.

"What is that? Do you have a cell phone?" Tegan asked sitting up and looking curiously towards the door.

J'onn shook his head and slid out of the bed, his outfit appearing on his body as he made his way to the doorway. A slight smile touched his lips at Tegan's muttered, "Spoilsport." He walked into the living room and was surprised to see that it was the collar Tegan had been wearing around her neck causing all the commotion. The metal accessory was glowing brightly and jerking erratically against the floor. Electrical sparks were flying up from it and J'onn wondered what would have happened to Tegan if she had still been wearing that contraption. The object of his concern appeared at his elbow wearing an oversized sweater his coworkers at the precinct had gotten him.

Tegan's hand touched her mouth. "What the hell is going on with that thing?" She moved past J'onn quickly and before he could stop her, she reached out to grab it. The moment Tegan's hand came within several inches of it, the collar released a pulse that sent the woman flying across the room and into the kitchen. From where he stood, J'onn could see that smoke was beginning to rise upwards from where Tegan lay stunned on the stove.

The fury on Tegan's face was evident as she dropped to the floor. Sparks of fire appeared where she stepped and J'onn felt a moment of relief as she said flatly, "I'm going to go hop into the shower before I burn your apartment down." She removed the sweater and disappeared from the room. J'onn made a move to follow her but the landline he kept in the apartment began to ring.

He walked over to where it sat on a table and answered with, "John Jones."

"Jones! Good, I was worried you would be out. You really need to get yourself a cell phone buddy." The caller was his close friend and fellow detective Samuel "Slam" Bradley. When the two men had first met J'onn hadn't liked his partner very much but after some close calls the two men had formed a strong friendship; strong enough that it had survived an accidental reveal of J'onn's true form.

J'onn tensed immediately. Slam never called his phone unless there was some sort of emergency. "What is the matter?"

Slam sighed and said in a lowered tone. "Some quack is causing a ruckus in Central City. He's got a bunch of League members and high profile villains in cahoots with him. I didn't see you in any of the preliminary photos taken of the scene so I figured I would drop you a call."

The phone call ended and J'onn closed his eyes and concentrated. He reached out with his mind and felt for the consciousnesses of his friends. He immediately felt himself connect with Batman.

_Bruce, are you with them?_

The dark knight responded without delay and brusquely. _I'm on my way. ETA 20 minutes. _

J'onn nodded absently. _I will meet you there._

Immediately J'onn reached out for the others and felt a moment of fear when he sensed no one but Wally, and the speedster was in too much pain to give a coherent reply. His stomach muscles clenched with worry and he turned and found Tegan at the entrance of the living room. Her hair was slicked back on top of her head but curled wildly around her shoulders. A towel that had been hanging by the shower was wrapped around her body and did nothing to hide what she had beneath. She frowned looking concerned, "What's the matter J'onn?"

A pang of agony went through J'onn and he wondered if Tegan had been sent to keep him occupied. He brushed his mind against hers and moments later felt relief. While she knew that her group of villains had made plans to draw out the Justice League she had no knowledge of what was truly going on in Central City. With a calm he didn't feel, J'onn said, "There is a problem in Central City." He explained what he had gleaned from Batman and Slam.

Anger sparked Tegan's eyes and she spat out, "Electro Master! I'm almost 100% positive that he's the one behind whatever's going on. I told Grodd not to bring him in but he ignored my counsel and now look." She turned around and disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out wearing her uniform. Retrieving her mask from where it lay near the collar Tegan said coolly, "Let's go."

* * *

_Promise you our love will carry on_

_Until you turn eternal, we belong_

Roy knew the exact moment that the electrical field dropped because the air stopped crackling with charged energy. Swiftly he moved forward doing his best to stick to the shadows and alleyways. Hiding against a wall he watched as a man with metal encasing his body passed by followed closely by the Justice League and several big name villains. Once they were out of sight, Roy went back out on the street and began to run. His heart clenched at the site of all the dead bodies strewn across the ground. _Please God, don't let Selene be one of them. _Pulling out his cell phone to call her, he was interrupted by the sound of someone crying out in pain.

Slowing down, Roy saw that lying amongst the dead was a very much alive Flash. The speedster's legs were bent at different angles and both of his arms appeared crooked. The ground around him was soaked with blood and his signature outfit was torn in many places. The super hero was struggling to sit up but it was clear that even the slightest movement was bringing him pain. Pocketing his cell phone, Roy went over to the Flash and swore when he realized just how bad off the other man was.

"Damn, what happened to you?" Roy asked, dropping to his knees beside the other man. The Flash looked at him with eyes hazy with pain and wheezed. Roy pressed his lips together and slipped his arm around the Flash's shoulders and helped him sit up. Immediately the Flash began to breathe more easily.

The Flash looked at him and gave a weak grin. "One of the Outlaws? Never thought… I'd see one of you guys… down here." His body spasmed with pain.

Roy rubbed a hand over his head. "I thought your body was supposed to heal its self quickly." He said looking over the man's broken form.

"My body is healed," the Flash laughed bitterly. "They made sure I wouldn't be able to stop them. Fastest man alive and I couldn't stop them from doing this to me." His eyes closed and for a moment Roy thought that he had died. Thankfully the other man's eyes opened again.

Roy touched a hand to the Flash's neck and felt for his pulse. His heart was beating erratically. Regretfully he stood and said, "I'm sorry, I need to keep moving on. I'll send a message to my coworkers to get a doctor here as soon as possible."

"Sounds good…to me." The Flash said weakly. He coughed hard for several moments, blood spraying from his mouth, and continued, "There are some…innocent people holed up in a building not far from…here. Keep them safe." This time the exertion of speaking was too much and the superhero passed out.

Roy pulled out his cell phone and continued on down the street.

* * *

_It's you that I live for and for you I die_

Selene stood up from where she had been sitting and brushed back her hair from her face. "That's it; I'm going out there. I can't just sit here waiting for someone to rescue me. The noise has died down so I'm sure they're gone."

One of the other survivors, a young heavy set man, looked at her worriedly. "But the Flash said to stay here. He said to stay here and to stay quiet."

"I know what he said," Selene replied sharply. "But I need to go see if he's ok. What if that monster did something to him? Maybe I can help."

Two matronly women exchanged glances before one of them asked gently, "But sweetheart, what can you do? That nice young man who saved us is a super hero! You're just a normal human."

Selene looked down. They were right, there was nothing she could physically to stop Electro Master. He could kill her in a heartbeat. But Wally was out there. He had saved her and gone back out into the danger. She needed to find him and to reassure herself that he was alright. If something happened to him…an image of Jason flickered through her mind and she felt an equal amount of terror that something would happen to him. Somehow, Selene's heart had wound up in the possession of two men. She cared deeply for both Wally and Jason and the thought of losing either one of them was too much to bear. A few tears trickled out of her eyes as she pushed her way past the other survivors and stepped onto the quiet street.

"Selene! Oh, thank goodness!"

Selene looked up just in time to see Roy barrel into her. The redheaded man wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. He grinned down at her. "God, you've never looked better than you do at this moment." Roy leaned over and gave her a swift kiss. "Don't worry," he winked as Selene gaped open mouthed at him. "That was just a one time, I'm so happy I could do something silly, thing." He looked over her shoulder and frowned. "Are there any other's with you?"

"Y-Yes. In the building back there." Selene turned and pointed to where she had come from. She grabbed Roy's hand and gave it a squeeze. "As happy as I am to see you Roy, I'm going to have to cut our little reunion short. I need to find the Flash. He saved us."

At the mention of the Flash Roy's eyes darkened. Immediately Selene was filled with fear. Mouth suddenly dry she asked hoarsely, "What is it?"

Roy shook his head and said, "I'll take you to him. C'mon."

Several minutes later Selene was leaning in shock over Wally. She had never seen such horrific injuries in anything but a movie and to see one of the men she loved lying there like a broken doll was almost too much. She let out a sob and her hands fluttered over Wally's inert body. "What happened to him?" she sobbed out. "Is he alive?"

Roy knelt down beside her and placed a hand on the other man's chest. There was hardly any movement. The archer slipped an arm around his friend and said sadly, "He is…but not for much longer."

"I don't understand!" Selene cried out angrily. "His high metabolism is supposed to help him heal; he should be up and walking! Not lying here about to die!"

The angry words caused the dying man to stir and his pain filled eyes opened narrowly. "Se…Selene?" his voice was weak and confused.

Tears fell down Selene's face as she gently touched Wally's face. "I'm here." She whispered brokenly. "I'm right here beside you."

A smile touched Wally's face. "Good…" he whispered. "I was worried that they had gotten to you anyways."

Selene shook her head. "No, you saved me and kept me safe. And now I'm going to do the same for you." She brushed the tears from her face and continued firmly, "How can I help you? How do I fix this?"

"Can't fix it," Wally murmured. "Internal bleeding…ribs…puncture…"

"No!" Selene said forcibly. "Don't say that! Tell me how to help you!"

There were several long minutes of silence and Roy wondered if the other man had finally passed on. To his relief the speedster coughed weakly and said softly. "Just hold me babe….your arms are all I need."

Selene met Roy's eyes with a stricken expression on her face but she slipped her trembling arms around the injured man and rested her face against his neck. Her tears soaked through the fabric of Wally's battered uniform and for a moment the speedster felt cold. A faint smile touched his face and he felt no more.

_So I'll lay here with you…_

_Till the final goodbye_

* * *

**_Stay tuned for the next chapter update! Please leave a review guys!_**


	12. The Middle of the End

**Hey guys! I know it's been a few weeks but I've been so busy with school! I have finals coming up but I managed to finish this chapter. Read, review it, you know the drill ;)**

* * *

Electro Master stood on the broken remains of a park bench and laughed hysterically as his army of super powered individuals destroyed the rest of Central City. Screams filled the air mingling with the smoke and flames. A grin tugged at the man's lips. It was a glorious evening to become supreme ruler of the world. He chuckled again and turned to watch the members of the Justice League destroy what they had worked so hard to protect. Electro Master watched eagerly as Superman lifted up a screaming woman and his eyes glowed red.

The joy was short lived as a green tinted wire rope flew through the air and wrapped around the man of steel. Superman dropped the woman and fell to his knees straining to free himself but it was no use. The kryptonite had already weakened him. Electro Master took half a step forward but stared in shock as a streak of purple and red flew in front of him before slamming into Giganta's massive form; knocking the former ape on her behind. Another figure dropped down onto Grodd's back.

"What is going on here?" Electro Master snarled. In the blink of an eye all of his carefully laid plans had begun to crumble. He watched as Batman swooped down from a building and threw an electrically charged net over Wonder Woman. The Amazonian Princess struggled but was knocked unconscious. A growl slipped through Electro Master's lips and he touched his hand to his side where a slim metal rod hung against his hip. He quickly detached it and with a flick of his wrist, the rod increased to four feet in length. The end had two prongs with electricity crackling between them. He was _not_ going down here. Not when he was so close to accomplishing his goals.

* * *

Jason pummeled his fist in the face of the Gorilla Grodd and felt a moment of satisfaction. He dodged the enraged ape's fist and called out to Kory who was busy fighting Giganta. "Do you see Roy or Selene anywhere?"

"Negative," Kory called back, sending starbolts into the face of the giant woman. "From Roy's previous calls I would suggest searching for them further down the street."

Kicking the gorilla across the face, Jason nodded. "Fine. You stay here and help Bat's out. I'll head down the street and look for them."

Kory nodded and resumed her fierce battle against Giganta. Jason pulled a slim gun out of a holster on his side and pointed it at the gorilla. He pulled the trigger and a small dart like bullet flew out. It slammed into Grodd's shoulder and immediately an electrical charge was released. Grodd fell to the ground with a pained grunt. A grin tugged at Jason's lips. So that's how that worked. He turned around just in time to see the guy who looked like the main honcho point a deadly looking staff at Batman.

The Dark Knight was engrossed in a hand to hand fight with a furious looking Hawkgirl and didn't notice the danger he was in. Jason took a step forward but froze when a wave of fire shot down from the sky separating the Dark knight and the other man. Everyone paused in their fighting and looked up to see a brightly burning fireball sailing through the air. It slammed into the earth where the wall of flames had been and the man, who Kory identified as Electro Master, tumbled backwards with a gasp of surprise.

The flames died down and Jason was surprised to see a woman standing in their place. Her face was tight with anger and her hair hung in wild curls down her back. A mask covered her face but Jason realized that she must be Selene's friend Tegan. Her hands burst into flames and she reached down and yanked Electro Master to his feet. Shaking his head, Jason hurried down the street. He had to find Selene.

* * *

Selene clutched Wally's broken body to hers and sobbed. Had Wally really just died in her arms? Ignoring Roy who was gently trying to move her away, Selene whispered, "Wally, wake up…you don't get to do this…you are not allowed to die on me!"

There was no answer.

For what seemed like a lifetime Selene cried over her almost lover until through the haze of pain and tears a familiar voice reached out to her.

"Selene?"

Slowly the young woman lifted her head and found Jason standing nearby. He pushed his helmet up and moved closer. "What happened, are you hurt?"

Roy touched his friends arm and spoke softly to him. An unreadable look settled on Jason's face as he moved next to Selene and crouched down beside her. Touching her arm he said gently, "We need to go now; I promise we'll come back for him…alright?"

"N…No." Selene said through gritted teeth. "I'm not going to leave him here….he didn't leave me. I can't leave him."

Jason grabbed onto Selene's arms and forcibly pried her away from The Flash. "We don't have time for this. He's dead and we need to get moving. Roy, take her." Ignoring Selene's protests, Jason dragged her backwards and pushed her into Roy's arms. With a calm he didn't feel Jason removed his jacket and settled it over the fallen hero's face. He turned and looked at his sobbing girlfriend in the arms of one of his closest friends. Electro Master was going to wish he had never messed with someone close to him.

* * *

Tegan gritted her teeth together and snarled, "What's the matter Electro Master? Surprised to see that I'm not in your control?" She shook him hard, ignoring the electrical shock running up her arm. "Did you really think you could take everyone down?"

The man's lips thinned but when he spoke, his tone was casual. "The thought has crossed my mind but it is of no consequence. If you will not join me then you will have to die alongside the others." The words had barely left his mouth when a giant yellow hand wrapped around Tegan's middle and yanked her backwards. The girl cried out in surprise and she dropped her hold on Electro Master. The hand dragged her across the ground and slammed her into the wall of a building. Tegan dropped to the ground in pain and growled under her breath.

Straightening, she found herself cornered by Sinestro, Lex Luthor and Grodd. All three of them had glassy expressions on their face making it clear they were within the hold of Electro Master. Tegan's eyes flickered to the collars around their necks. Electro Master was powerful only as long as he held these fools in his grasp. If she could somehow remove them then perhaps the tables would turn. Flames shot out from her arms as she attacked Grodd who stood closest to her. The giant gorilla roared in pain as the fire touched his skin. Tegan's hands reached for the color but just like hers this one created some sort of protective field that sent her flying.

Her flight was cut short as Sinestro used his ring to create a giant hammer to hit her with. The hammer forced her downwards, trying to smash her into the ground. With an angry cry Tegan created a stream of flames to push the hammer aside. It barely worked. She fell a few short feet to the ground and found herself facing off against Lex. The man's armour may have been a strange purple and aqua colour but it was well made and seemed to be impervious to Tegan's flames.

Soon, despite her best efforts, the trio had Tegan pinned down. Grodd raised his fists high above her head and Tegan felt a brief moment of panic as they descended rapidly towards her face. Just as they were about to touch Tegan's face, Gorilla Grodd was sent flying by a well placed kick from Batman. The Dark Knight ducked as Starfire came sailing by and threw her starbolts at Lex Luthor. As the villain toppled over, Tegan grabbed Sinestro by the leg and yanked hard.

* * *

J'onn was in the watch tower fiddling with the collar Tegan had taken off. He hadn't been pleased with her suggestion that he work out a way to turn off the collars and leave her to go join the battle. After the intimate moments they had shared together a few hours earlier J'onn had had no desire to be parted from her side. Pushing some circuitry around with a set of tweezers, he absently wondered how Batman balanced his romance with Selena against his priorities as a hero.

Now that they had reached a new level in their relationship would Tegan continue with her ways as a villain or would she join him on the side of good? A frown creased J'onn's forehead. How would his team mates react to his taking an enemy of theirs as a paramour? The Martian's concentration was broken as Batman called him on the communicator located in the tower.

Bringing up a grainy image of the Dark Knight, J'onn felt a wave of alarm run through him at the grim expression on the other man's face.

"J'onn, there's been a…complication."

* * *

It took J'onn less than ten minutes to reach Batman's desitnation via a Boom Tube. The Dark Knight crouched in a darkened and broken building over the still form of the Flash. Beside him lay a semi conscious Red Hood with a concerned Starfire hovering over him. J'onn took in the Flash's broken form and immediately went to his fallen friend.

"He's still alive," Batman said grimly. "But barely. You need to take him back to the tower. Have you made any headway with the collars?" J'onn had sent Batman a message that he had come across access to one of the collars and he would be working with it.

J'onn gently picked up the Flash and nodded. "Yes. I believe I should have it within the next half hour." He glanced around, a frown sliding his lips downwards.

For a moment there was silence before Batman said flatly, "The guy calling himself Electro Master kidnapped that villain Wildfire along with a civilian…Speedy was also taken." Straightening, Batman touched a hand to his belt. "He left his so called army to take down the rest of the city. I'm going to try to bring down Superman but it may take me some time."

As J'onn took his friend back to the Watch Tower he thought worriedly of Tegan. He hadn't sensed her presence nearby. Laying the Flash out onto a medical exam table, J'onn reached his mind out but couldn't feel Tegan's.

Where was she?

* * *

Pain exploded through as Tegan forced her eyes open. Feeling dizzy she clamped her eyes shut against the bright light in her face. A soft moan from beside her made the young woman open her eyes again. Tears of pain filled her eyes as Tegan slowly turned her head and found herself staring at the semi conscious form of Selene. Both girls were strapped down to tables with overhead lights shining in their faces. From what she could see, the two girls were back in Grodd's lair. Gingerly Tegan tried moving but the metal straps holding her down would not budge. She tried to send fire to the points of metal touching her skin but then she became aware that not only was she strapped down to a table there was a large glass cover over her, and it was _cold._

A tiny bit of smoke came out of her hands but Tegan's skin barely heated up. Another moan slipped out of Selene's mouth and Tegan turned her head to look at her again. Weakly she called out her friend's name. The other girl barely moved and Tegan felt a prickle of fear when Electro Master materialized from around the corner. Seeing her awake an evil grin slid onto the man's face.

"Well at least one of you is awake." Electro Master walked over to her container and continued curiously, "Do you remember what happened?"

His voice was muffled through the glass of her Tegan's container but she understood him perfectly. Vague memories filled her mind…Selene screaming, a yellow cage entrapping them, pain exploding in her skull… With a shiver Tegan said weakly, "I'm going to kill you…as soon as I get out of here."

Electro Master's lips twisted upwards in a smug smile. "While you plot your escape I have more important things to do." He lifted up a syringe filled with a grayish liquid. "Grodd had this lying around and I'm eager to see how this will affect our dear Selene." He turned his back on Tegan and she breathed in sharply. The way he said her name…

"…Aaron?"

* * *

Jason's eyes slid open to find a distressed looking Starfire staring down at him. The Tamaranian woman's eyes were open wide and there was a cut on her forehead. When she saw that he was awake a relieved look came over her face and she lifted him up into an embrace.

"Oh Jason!" she cried out. "I was so afraid you were dead!"

With a groan Jason pushed her away and touched his head, only to realize his helmet was off. Thankfully, it was lying beside him. Touching it he asked gruffly, "What the hell happened?"

With fluttering hands Starfire explained what had occurred. After Jason had gone to rescue Selene, Electro Master had captured Wildfire using Sinestro's ring and then had used Hawkgirl, Grodd, and Wonder Woman to bring Jason, Roy and Selene down. They hadn't stood a chance. "Luckily," Starfire said with a sigh, "The Batman was there and he was able to keep you from being taken." She paused, biting down on her lip. "Electro Master has taken Roy, Selene and Wildfire."

Jason immediately jumped onto his feet. "We need to go before that bastard does something else." Putting his helmet on he continued sternly, "Our priorities are Selene and Roy. Don't forget that."

A troubled expression came over Starfire's face but she nodded. "Very well."

* * *

Electro Master froze hearing the name of his host falling from the lips of his enemy. He hadn't bothered taking the mask off of Wildfire once he had incapacitated her but he knew who she was. The voice inside his head, the one that had gone silent for several days, suddenly roared back to life. Fighting back a headache Electro Master hissed, "That name has no meaning here. Once I administer this serum I will manipulate your so called friend into destroying you."

Without hesitation Electro Master stabbed the needle into Selene's arm. Simultaneously, with his other hand, he touched the girl's body and filled her with an electrical energy. As the contents of the syringe emptied into Selene's body, her eyes flew open and she let out a piercing shriek. Electro Master took a step backwards and removed his hands from her body but continued to administer the electricity with his abilities.

He ignored the muffled yells of Tegan and watched in fascination as Selene's body arched off the table. One of the straps holding her body against the table broke and Electro Master found himself wondering if he had made a mistake. No, he thought to himself firmly. Killing the woman behind him with her own friend was a stroke of genius. As his minions continued to decimate the city and the surrounding areas he would finally be purging himself of his host's former attachments to this life.

* * *

Confusion and pain swirled through the girl's head as she opened her eyes. Dizzily she took in her surroundings, alarmed to find a giant metal bug staring down at her. No, her mind corrected her absently, not a bug. _SELENE! SELENE! _That was her name Selene realized abruptly. But where had that voice come from? A sound from behind the metal man alerted her to a coffin like container made of glass on top of a table. There was a girl lying inside screaming something, the faintest hint of smoke seeping from the cracks. Who…? Once more there was another yell. _It's Tegan! Your best friend!_

The words confused Selene, especially since she couldn't see who was talking. She turned her eyes back to the man and said weakly, "W…who are you? What happened to me?"

The man replied in a gentle tone, "I was fixing you. This person," he paused to motion at the coffin. "She tried to kill you." His mouth twisted downwards into a sad frown. "She already killed your boyfriend. It would have been you next if I hadn't arrived."

_He's lying…_Selene could feel a headache forming. Boyfriend? Images of two men came to her mind; trying to think of who they were only made Selene's headache worse. She groaned slightly and said, "Can I get up?"

"It's not safe yet," the man said quickly. "Do you feel stronger?"

Selene blinked up at him. Something was wrong. She glanced at the coffin. The nameTegan sounded so familiar…an image of Selene with a curly haired girl at a bar floated through her mind. Tegan was her best friend she realized. And she was trapped in that box. Feeling panicked Selene pulled against the straps holding her down on the table. "Let me up! I need to get up!"

Although his eyes were hidden behind his metal mask, Selene could almost feel the way they glared at her; as if she were found lacking. "This is very disappointing." _I hoped to use you to crush Wildfire but now I'll just have to kill you._

Selene let out a frightened squeak. "Y-You can't kill me! I haven't done anything to you!"

The man's mouth dropped open for a moment before twisting into an evil smile. "I didn't say that." _Perhaps you can be useful to me. _His eyes flickered down her body and Selene shivered.

"Just let me go." Selene pleaded, straining against her bonds.

The metal man reached out and grabbed her by the throat. "Oh I don't think so. You're going to be very useful to me."

* * *

Tegan watched helplessly as Electro Master undid Selene's straps and then dragged the girl out of the room. "Damn it!" She had to get out of here! Who knows what the creep would do to her friend?

She needed her fire but trying to melt through these straps was impossible with how cold she felt. Tegan groaned and shivered as she tried to come up with a solution. When was the last time she had really let loose with her flames? An image of J'onn dripping with water came to mind and a flush covered her cheeks. The blush deepened as she remembered what they had done in the shower.

Smoke curled up from her hands and Tegan realized that this would be her way of escape. She closed her eyes and thought about J'onn and everything she wanted to do to him and have him do to her. The images drove her crazy and with an embarrassingly loud moan Tegan exploded into flames. The top of the container she was in melted away along with the straps holding her down. The fire in her body felt uncontrollable and Tegan sat up vaguely aware of the fire spreading out around her.

She got out of the box and fell to the ground, her body crying out for J'onn to come and quench the burning desire swirling within and around her. The flames spread out across the floor and Tegan desperately reached out a hand. It connected with the leg of the table Selene had been strapped to and almost instantly the leg melted under her touch. As the table fell to the ground and was consumed by fire, Tegan forced herself to her feet and half walked, half stumbled to the doorway. Her hormones were going to have to wait.

Selene needed her.

* * *

**Well what do you guys think will happen? Leave a review!**


	13. The End of it All

**Hey guys! Finals ARE finally done and I can get back to working on my fanfics! **

**Sadly this is the last chapter for this story! After this there will be an epilogue and that's it.**

**Just kidding! There will definitely be a sequel to this story! **

**In the meantime please enjoy this long awaited update!**

* * *

"Let go of me!" Selene pulled against Electro Master's hold but it was no use. She was too weak against the strength of the man that held her.

He laughed and shoved her through a door. "Don't worry, soon you'll be let go."

Selene stumbled from his rough treatment and she barely avoided falling to the ground. Sunlight hit her in the face and she squinted against the sudden attack of light. Before she could do anything, Electro Master grabbed her once more and dragged her around the building they had come from. Vaguely Selene was aware that this was the same building that she had snuck into to find Tegan. _How on earth am I going to get out of here?_

_You can't do anything; it's too late. _

The distinctly male voice echoed through Selene's head and she turned her face sharply to look at Electro Master. He was ignoring her but the voice had come from him, she was sure of it.

_E…Electro Master?_

There was a long dramatic pause as Electro Master shoved her into a small plane that had been hidden from view.

_No…_the voice finally said. _Aaron. _

* * *

Hanging in the center of a room from his arms Roy wondered if this was going to be how he died. _Starfire will kill me if I die here._ He kicked his legs out to test the chain out but he hung in place firmly. He groaned but was distracted from his predicament when he noticed smoke was beginning to fill the room. "What the hell?" his words ended in a cough as the smoke filled his mouth.

Roy cleared his throat and felt a tingle of fear as he looked towards the door and saw smoke pouring in underneath. He watched helplessly as the door began to glow red and it slowly melted into nothingness. Forcing himself to be calm he yelled out, "If this is some sort of sick joke to make me scared, it-it's not working!"

Smoke poured into the room through the open door and through watery eyes Roy watched as a giant ball of flames seemed to float into the room. He let out a terrified squeak as the ball floated over to him. The chains fell off his hands and Roy hit the ground with a thump. Hands smarting from the metal, he scrambled backwards away from the giant ball of flames. "S…Stay back!"

The words had barely left his mouth before the flames seemed to die down to reveal a familiar, and very naked, looking woman. The flames were gone but to Roy it seemed as if her skin were burning underneath. His eyes darted around trying hard not to stare at her figure but he couldn't help but notice that her stomach seemed rounded. Roy's eyes drifted up and he noticed that her hair was a mass of curling fire that fell around her shoulders. She looked at him and her eyes were pure fire.

"Where are they?" Her voice was low and filled with pain. Curls of smoke escaped from her mouth.

Roy cleared his throat again. "I, uh, don't know who you're talking about."

The flames spilled out of her eyes and another squeak escaped Roy. She took half a step forward and yelled, "WHERE IS SELENE?"

"I DON'T KNOW." Roy yelled back terrified. "Don't kill me! That crazy metal guy kidnapped me!"

The woman scowled and the fire seemed to die down. Her eyes returned to normal and conveniently placed flames covered her delicate areas. "You men are always useless." She turned and disappeared leaving behind scorch marks on the ground.

* * *

_Aaron! How! Where are you? Get out of my head and go get help! _Selene mentally screamed the words at her friend as Electro Master tied and gagged her in one of the seats of plane.

As he went to the front of the aircraft Aaron responded sadly, _I can't…_Selene's eyes filled with tears are her friend explained to her what happened to during the months of her "death". She moaned against the gag and felt a shiver go down her spine as Electro Master…no…_Aaron_ chuckled. "Don't worry, Soon this will all be over."

She turned her face towards the window and though bleakly, _Why did you do this. Why couldn't you just grieve like a normal person._

A wave of anger hit her. _Weren't you and Tegan obsessed with me becoming a man? Well I did what I thought was best…even if it went all wrong._

Selene turned back to look at Electro Master and felt disgust at the way the metal curved over Aaron's body. It was completely unnatural. She twisted her hands trying to free them from their ties. _Well can't you tell me how to stop him? I mean you? _

There was a pause before Aaron said _I-I can't he's blocked me off from his thoughts. It's a miracle what happened to you…at least I'm not alone anymore._

_This is NOT the time for your theatrics Aaron! _Selene barked, ignoring the pity that filled her. T_his entire mess is your fault so you have to fix it!_

* * *

J'onn set the tweezers down and felt a twinge of excitement. He had done it; he had broken through the collar. Using tongs, he moved the offending piece of jewelry over to a special container that had a laser pointed at it. From what he understood of the device, it controlled the user through a special electromagnetic frequency. If he could interrupt that frequency…

Once the collar was in place, J'onn moved away and placed a pair of protective glasses over his face. he didn't really need them but Batman had insisted that everyone follow the safety procedures of the lab after Wally had accidentally imbedded a piece of kryptonite in his eye. A small laugh escaped J'onn as he remembered that moment. Shaking his head he walked over to were a small red button glowed on a console. Breathing a prayer J'onn pressed the button and bright yellow beam shot out of the laser and hit the collar. The collar let out a high pitched noise and J'onn winced but smiled grimly as the laser over powered it. The collar glowed dimly before crumbling into dust.

With quick strides J'onn moved around the room and calibrated the laser to patch through to an orbiting military satellite and with a push of a button he sent a signal out to the collars that controlled the Justice League and villains. Closing his eyes, J'onn reached out his mind and felt a wave of relief when he felt the confused minds of his friends. Removing the safety glasses, J'onn thought grimly, _now I must find Tegan. Every time I reach out for her all I feel is an overwhelming sense of anger…and something else. If that man has hurt her…_

J'onn left the room and moved down the hall to go to the medic bay. He had taken Wally there upon return to the Watch Tower and it had been with great difficulty that he had fixed his friend's bones. However, even with Wally's superior healing skills it would be a long while before he would be completely well. Entering the room J'onn found the speedster sleeping. Quietly the Martian moved around the room and set up a new IV and made sure his friend was covered.

As he turned to leave Wally's pained voice filled the room. "J…J'onn?"

Immediately J'onn turned around and saw that his friend was awake. He frowned. "Wally it is imperative that you rest."

"C…Can't rest. Gotta help…Selene." Wally wheezed the words out and slowly sat up. Sweat broke out on his forehead from the effort.

J'onn stepped up to the bed and said firmly, "I will help your friend. Rest my friend." He touched a hand to the other man's forehead and the speedster fell unconscious.

"I will make sure this man pays for his crimes." J'onn said softly as he left the room.

* * *

Selene growled under her breath as Electro Master landed the small plane on top of a building near Central City's center. He jumped out of the aircraft and ran around the side to retrieve her. as he yanked her out of the aircraft he laughed crazily, "Those fools think they won by disabling my collars but it matters not. Once I have your abilities I will be invincible!"

He yanked the gag off of Selene and continued tauntingly, "Go ahead, I'm sure you're full of pleas for me to stop."

Struggling against Electro Master's hold as he pulled her over to the edge of the roof, Selene cried out, "Just leave me and my friends alone! We haven't done anything to you!"

"No…" Mused the crazy man. "You haven't. but this is real life you fool, it doesn't matter how hard you struggle…you will fall prey to those stronger than you." He shoved her aside and continued with a crazed shout, "Now watch as I purge myself of the unnecessary!"

In horror, Selene watched from her place on the rooftop floor as the metal that comprised Electro Master seemed to fold backwards off of Aaron's body. The metal completely detached itself and Selene found herself reminded of a praying mantis. Meanwhile, Aaron fell forward and caught hold of himself on the safety railing of the building. "I'm free," he said dazed. "I'm finally free!"

The head piece of the metal mantis swung to look at Selene and a cold, electronic voice hissed, "Have you said your goodbyes?"

Before Selene could react, the metal arms of what was clearly a sentient Electro Master reached out and shoved Aaron from behind. A scream slid out of the man's lips as he tumbled over the railing and plummeted to his death. Selene struggled to stand and screamed, "AARON! AARON!" A sob bubbled upwards as she turned tear filled eyes towards Electro Master. "You killed him!"

"It was necessary," Electro Master said in the eerie digitized voice. "Now that I have rid myself of that fool I will attach myself to you and your delicious body. And there is nothing you can do to stop me!" the metal moved forwards and Selene gasped in fear.

With her arms tied there wasn't much she could do. Struggling she moved her body backwards away from the villain but it was no use. He was soon standing over her. one of the metal pieces that comprised his arm reached down to touch her and Selene yelled, "Don't touch me!"

The metal clanged against something invisible and Electro Master let out a hiss. "Well isn't this a lovely surprise. A telepath and you can create your own force fields. It will be a delight to drape myself over your body."

Selene stared up at him in fear but didn't reply. She concentrated hard on the barrier that her mind had created and felt scared as again and again Electro Master slammed himself against it in a desperate attempt to reach it. Although she could not see the force field, Selene could feel it and it was weakening. Desperately she reached out with her mind. _Someone help me!_

Sending out the thought caused Selene to lose her concentration and suddenly Electro Master's "hands" were on her. She cried out as he ripped the bonds off of her and lifted her high up. "Now Selene…" he laughed evilly. "Your body is mine!"

"PUT HER DOWN!"

A wave of fire slammed into Electro Master's body and Selene felt herself go flying through the air. She let out a shriek as she headed towards the ground far bellow. Suddenly slim, hot arms wrapped around her and a familiar voice breathed in her ear. "Relax; I've got you."

"Teagan!" Selene wrapped her arms tightly around her friend and clung onto her.

* * *

Tegan could feel the fire simmering within her but she held it down as she clutched Selene to her. That bastard was going to wish he had never left his house all those months ago. She landed on the ground and gently set her friend down. Tegan backed up and once she was a safe distance away she let go of her hold on her fire. Flames spilled down her shoulders and she sighed softly as they warmed her. she opened her eyes and looked at Selene who was bright red. "Did I burn you?" she asked worriedly.

"Tegan why the hell are you naked?" Selene blurted out. "I don't know where to look!"

A slight grin touched Tegan's face. Without blinking she allowed flames to spread out across her body to cover her intimate areas. "My flames are too hot for clothing and I didn't want to burn you." She turned to look up towards the building they had come from. In a serious voice she said flatly, "Aaron is Electro Master."

"Not anymore," Selene replied tearfully, pointing towards a still body lying nearby.

Tegan sucked in a deep breath and let out a string of curses. "Whatever that thing is up there…I'll destroy it."

"Not if we beat you to it."

The two girls whirled around and found themselves facing an extremely angry looking Justice League. Tegan's eyes met J'onn's and a wave of love washed over her. They would win. They had to.

* * *

Two hours later, Tegan was regretting her earlier optimism. Electro Master was unbeatable in a few short hours he had rendered Superman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Batman unconscious. J'onn was barely holding on and Selene had disappeared trying to find a way to reach her friends the Outlaws. She let loose a torrent of flames as Electro Master appeared from behind a fallen piece of building.

"This isn't working J'onn!" Tegan moved over to where her lover stood a look of concentration on his face.

J'onn turned to look at her, an expression of utter exhaustion on his face. "I am not sure…I can continue. Despite his mechanical appearance he is adept at avoiding my mental attacks."

Electro Master let out a cackling laugh and sent a wave of electricity in their general direction. "Why don't you come out and die with dignity? I will have your little friend whether you wish me to or not."

A sense of desperation filled Tegan. She touched a hand to her stomach and whispered, "He's right. He's going to kill us all. He's going to win."

"Don't say that," John replied sharply. He touched a hand to her face. "We will win this." Their lips met and even though the kiss lasted for a moment, a wave of heat washed over Tegan and a piece of metal underneath her foot melted. Her eyes found Electro Master's twisted metal figure and an unreadable expression came over her face.

Suddenly Selene reappeared. "I'm sorry guys," she said with tears. "I couldn't reach Starfire or Jason. My brain is exhausted and the phone's are all out of order."

"That's alright," Tegan said. She smiled. "I have a plan." She reached out and hugged her friend tightly to her. The flames disappeared and she let out a laugh at J'onn's intake of breath at her nakedness and Selene's scandalized gasp.

Keeping the flames down Tegan pulled away from Selene and grabbed onto J'onn. She gave him a desperate kiss and didn't let go until the heat threatened to overwhelm her. She allowed the fire to cover her again and with a trembling voice said, "I love you J'onn…and you know I love you too Selene."

J'onn reached out for Tegan but she was gone. "What was that for?" he asked in surprise. He reached out his mind to his lover but was met by silence.

Selene grabbed him by the arm and cried out, "Wait, you need to stop her! I think she's going to….TEGAN NO!" The sentence ended in a scream and J'onn could do nothing but watch as Tegan launched herself at Electro Master and grabbed onto him.

Her eyes, filled with fire and love, met J'onn's and for a moment all was still.

Then, the world exploded in flames.

* * *

The force of the explosion sent Selene flying backwards. She hit the ground hard and felt disoriented. Small rocks and sparks rained down on her as she stared up at the sky. Ears ringing she sat up her eyes latched onto the burning pillar of flames. "Tegan…" Selene struggled to her feet before running forward towards the fire. A hand grabbed onto her arm and Selene stopped short. "Let go of me," she cried out. "I need to go to my friend."

"She's gone," J'onn said as he held onto her arm. Selene looked at him and was surprised to see the look of pure pain on the Martian's face. "She's gone." He repeated weakly.

Selene felt her legs give out and she fell to the ground unable to do anything but stare at the fire. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

Tegan…Aaron…They were both gone.

* * *

Saying goodbye to Aaron was hard.

Selene found herself sobbing as her friend's body was loaded onto the plane to be sent back to his home country of Canada. A hand touched her shoulder and Selene turned herself to allow J'onn to hug her. The Martian had been a pillar of strength these past few weeks with the disappearance of Jason and Wally still recuperating.

"Would you like to say a few words?" J'onn asked quietly.

Wiping a hand across her face Selene nodded. She cleared her throat and said shakily, "Aaron…I don't think you'll ever understand how much you pissed me off. But you were my friend….no you were more than a friend. You were like a brother." She paused to pull out a kleenix and blow her nose. "I'm sorry…I wish things could have been different."

The door of the plane closed and Selene watched silently as the plane sped down the runway. She turned to J'onn and breathed in deeply. "Ready to go?"

* * *

Saying goodbye to Tegan was even harder.

There was no body, just an endlessly burning pillar of lames in the city. A mysterious benefactor had donated an untold amount of money to the city to construct a commemorative memorial around the fire. In the three weeks since the incident a special railing had been put up to keep any one from getting too close to the fire.

Selene stood there now, a slight shiver running down her spine, despite the heat from the fire. "I can't believe she's gone." She whispered.

J'onn nodded and said quietly, "Sometimes it seems like I can feel her there but the moment passes and I wonder if I will ever get past this pain."

"The same thing has happened to me," admitted Selene.

They stood there in a companionable silence until J'onn asked curiously, "What will you do now?"

Selene thought for a moment. "I'm going to help Wally with his recovery," she said finally. "And then once he's fine, I'm going to go look for Jason." She paused to brush the hair back from her face. "My last memories with him are still fuzzy and I haven't been able to get in contact with him or Starfire. I need to find them."

If J'onn knew what had happened to her friends he didn't say. Instead he nodded and touched a hand to her shoulder. "Come, Wally is surely awake by now and driving Shayera insane."

The two of them turned around and began walking way; neither of them noticing the way the flames seemed to burn brighter and hotter for just a moment.

* * *

**The...End? **

**Stay tuned for the epilogue.**

**AND PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS GUYS! It's always nice to hear why you like the story or why you don't like it or what you guys think is going to happen!**


	14. A New Beginning

**GUYS IT'S THE EPILOGUE! I could have waited to post it but I'm really eager to get into the sequel so I decided to post right now. This is the very last update for Fates. Be sure to follow me so you can be notified ASAP when the sequel is uploaded! **

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

_Selene…Selene…_

Selene, who had been completely knocked out on Wally's bed, stirred as the voice invaded her mind. She had gone to the speedster's house to visit him but he had had to cut their time together short when an unexpected Justice League issue had occurred Wally had insisted that she make herself at home so Selene had decided to spend the night and do shopping in the morning before heading back home. Her eyes fluttered open, wondering if Wally had returned but when she realized there was no one she groaned sleepily. In the six months that had passed since the incident she had been training with J'onn to control her new abilities as a telepath. Selene had learned during this time to block unwanted intrusions from her mind and how to throw up and strengthen her force field. However, her new control seemed to be nothing to this voice that continued to whisper to her.

_Wake up damn it! I need you!_

As Selene sat up in frustration at the invasion of her personal space it suddenly occurred to her that voice was familiar; one she had not heard in a long time. She threw the covers off of her body and bolted out of bed.

When Selene reached the Wildfire Memorial she noticed only one thing. The fire was gone. She parked haphazardly beside a parking meter and jumped out of her vehicle. A feeling of panic whirled through her as she rushed through the memorial to reach the railing that kept visitors away from the flames. Nothing. Selene's hands trembled as she grabbed onto the railing for support. Her hands warmed slightly. The fire must have gone out just before she got here. "Tegan…" she whispered the name and felt tears run down her face. "What happened? Who did this?"

A person cleared their throat from behind Selene and the woman jumped. She had been in such a rush to get to the railing she hadn't noticed there was anyone else in the vicinity. "Did you see what happened?" Selene demanded as she turned around. She opened her mouth to ask another question but the words dried up in her throat as her eyes connected with a very naked and very bald Tegan.

* * *

Tegan started to smile at her friend instead had to move forward quickly as her best friend pitched forward unconscious. She caught Selene but feeling extremely weak she could do nothing but fall to her knees with her friend half sprawled on top of her. With a grunt Tegan pushed Selene off of her and onto the ground. Gently she patted her friend's cheeks. "Selene?"

"You're not real. I'm just hallucinating this." Was Selene's reply as she opened her eyes.

Rubbing a hand over her bald head Tegan said flatly, "Oh God, just get over it already! We really don't have time for theatrics!"

An angry flush settled on Selene's cheeks as she struggled to sit up. "Theatrics! You've been dead for six months! I'm allowed to freak out! And would it kill you to pull on some clothing or to do your fire thingy?"

"I can't do the fire thingy," Tegan said with a groan. "I don't have time to argue with you, I need you to take me the hospital."

Immediately Selene was peering into her friend's eyes. "Hospital? Did the fire do something to you?"

"No," Tegan said with a wince. "But J'onn did." She grabbed Selene's hand and placed it on her bare and very pregnant stomach.

Selene let out a gasp as she suddenly realized the state her friend was in. "B-But how? And how are you alive?" Absently she pulled off the sweater she wore and handed it to her friend to cover her nakedness.

Tegan pressed her lips together but said with a groan of pain, "The fire was…insulating me? I'm not sure. I had pushed myself too far and my body needed time to recover. As for the baby…I guess I was pregnant when it happened…" she looked slightly fearful. "If I had known…"

"But why didn't you ever reach out to me or J'onn?" Selene asked. How could her friend have stayed there like that and not even reached out to her?

Clutching the sweater Tegan looked down. "I did try." She said weakly. "Every single time you guys came here. I couldn't see you but I could feel you…eventually I gave up." She paused to touch her stomach. "I was so scared." Tegan admitted. "I could feel my body changing but I had no way to stop it or to get help. Tonight my fire just died. I can barely make a flame from snapping my fingers."

She demonstrated and a weak tongue of fire slid up from her fingers only to die when Tegan breathed on it.

Selene breathed out a huff of air. They could write a book on a hundred ways to die and come back to life. Her eyes traced over the hairless and pregnant figure of her best friend and a feeling of joy welled up inside of her. Tegan was _here_. Everything would be ok now.

"Alright." Selene said firmly, her lips sliding up into a smile. "Let's get you to a hospital."

* * *

The ride to the hospital was tense. Selene had ushered Tegan into her vehicle alarmed at how pale the woman looked and how she had held onto Selene the entire way. Tegan had always been the strong one. Seeing her so weak and vulnerable…Selene pressed her foot down on the gas and sped into the drive way of the emergency of the city hospital. She glanced at Tegan who looked almost as white as the tourist tshirt they had bought at a 24 hour pharmacy. "Stay here, I'm going to inside and get a nurse."

Selene rushed into the emergency room and snagged the first nurse she saw. The nurse, a cocky looking young man ambled after her with a wheelchair but when he caught sight of Tegan and her pale visage he sprang into action. To Selene's relief, Tegan was being wheeled inside. She walked beside the wheelchair and rested her hand on Tegan's shoulder. Within minutes a female nurse arrived and soon had Tegan in a hospital gown and on a bed. After the woman left to retrieve a doctor, Selene asked worriedly, "I need to call J'onn. He's going to be so worried when he finds out the fire is gone."

"No," Tegan said through clenched teeth as she rode out a wave of pain. Gasping slightly she continued, "I…Don't want him here. Not yet."

"But Tegan, he's the father." Selene protested. "And he loves you! He should be here!"

For a moment it looked as if Tegan would relent but she shook her head stubbornly. "I said N…." Her voice trailed off in a moan of pain. Gripping the sheets in her hand she yelled out, "Damn it someone get this baby OUT OF ME!"

* * *

The next several hours passed in a blur. There was nothing Selene could do but stand by her friend and offer her support. When the time came for the birth the doctor asked if Selene would be witnessing the delivery. Tegan, looking exhausted and covered in a fine sheen of sweat nodded weakly. Selene soon found herself standing beside Tegan, gripping her friend's hand, wincing at every scream and cry. Suddenly the cry of a tiny child filled the room and Selene felt tears spill down her cheeks.

Tegan fell back on the bed exhausted and closed her eyes as the doctor and nurses, who had all gasped, huddled around the small baby and spoke in soft whispers. "What's the matter?" she asked weakly. "Is he green?"

Selene let go of her friend's hand and walked over to the huddled group. The doctor looked up at her and said grimly, "I'm sorry but the child seems to have some…deformities." One of the nurses shifted aside and Selene was able to get a good view of the baby.

She let out a gasp and Teagan called out impatiently, "Well what happened? Does he have two heads?"

"No," Selene replied as she stared at the baby. "He's got ten fingers and ten toes and…and…he's…." her voice trailed off.

Letting out a groan Tegan struggled up and snapped weakly, "Well just clean him up and bring him over here…Oh God it's a boy? I have a son?"

Several of the nurses backed out of the room exchanging whispers as the doctor and another nurse wiped the baby down and wrapped him in a soft blanket. The doctor handed the baby to Selene and said stiffly, "We'll give you a moment alone with the child." He left the room with the nurse and Selene held the baby carefully in her arms before walking over to Tegan. "Here he is."

Tegan held out her arms, a vulnerable expression on her face. When her eyes finally took in her son she gasped softly before bursting into laughter. "Oh…wow…He's just ugly."

"He's not ugly," protested Selene unconvincingly. The two girls stared down at the half asleep baby and then started laughing.

The child was not going to win any beauty competitions. The same dark green as his father, he also had the same pointed head. Other than that his face was the rounded face of a baby. His little mouth opened revealing pinkish purple gums and Tegan let loose a torrent of giggles. "He is Selene…he looks like a little monkey…" a tender smile crossed her face. "But he's _my_ little monkey."

"What will you name him?" Selene asked curiously as she reached down and touched the baby's soft cheek."

Before Tegan could reply, the door opened and three military officers entered the room followed by the doctor. He looked nervously towards the baby and cleared his throat. "T-There it is."

"Are you being serious right now?" Tegan demanded, her arms tightening protectively around her baby. "You have until the count of three to get the hell out of my hospital room."

One of the officers stepped forward, an intimidating expression on his face. "Sorry ma'am but we're required to look into suspicious business. We're going to take the baby now to be examined by some experts. You can get any information you need from Officer Simmons here."

Selene stepped closer to Tegan and placed an arm around her friend's shoulders. She was surprised to feel them trembling. "Look, I don't know what this is about," Selene began nervously, "But my friend just had a baby and they both need rest."

"Your friend can rest for as long as she wants." Officer Simmons said soothingly. "We just want to make sure this baby receives the best care possible…She can go down to the military hospital once she's been discharged to visit him."

Selene frowned at the young officer and reached her mind out to him. _If there's anything left of him to visit_ the young man thought. _The scientists are going to have a field day with this one._

Tegan looked down at her baby and looked up at Selene. _I have enough energy in me to give you a way out. Take my son Selene. Keep him safe. _

_No! _Selene thought back. _I don't want to leave you; we can get out of this together._

The baby little out a hungry mewl and tears sprang to Tegan's eyes. She raised her baby up and touched her lips to his forehead. _His name is Edan...after my great grandfather. Please Selene…I'll find you two as soon as I can. _

Tegan looked at the military officers and slowly swung her legs off of the bed. Blood was still smeared across the inside of her thighs and the gown clung to her sweaty body. She handed Edan to Selene, the small baby crying loudly at the sudden movement. Looking at the officers she said angrily, "You guys should have left when you had the chance." The words hand barely left the woman's mouth before her hands were raised and a weak stream of fire came shooting out. The officers shouted in surprise as they dodged the flames.

Clutching Edan to her breast, Selene jumped over the men on the floor and rushed to the door. She paused at the door and looked back at Tegan who had collapsed half on the floor, half on the bed. Their eyes met, Tegan's filled with determination and Selene's filled with regret. Then Selene was gone, a force field flung up behind her to block the officer's from following her.

_Don't worry Tegan. I'll find you again._ Selene looked down at the crying baby in her arms. _And I'll keep Edan safe. _

_You can count on it._

* * *

**Woot! So what do you guys think? Happy that I pulled a JK Rowling and brought her back to life? Disgusted that I didn't just leave her dead? Go ahead and let your opinions flow out in a review! Also, since Tegan is hispanic, Edan is pronounced Eh-dahn not E-den. **

**It's been fun guys! I will see you all in the sequel! **


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